Product Details

The silver tetradrachms of Sicily represent the absolute pinnacle of ancient Greek coin engraving, produced by the wealthy and culturally sophisticated Greek colonial cities of the island at a period of such extraordinary artistic achievement that numismatists and art historians alike regard Sicilian tetradrachms of the 5th century BC as among the supreme masterworks of ancient art in any medium. This Sicilian AR Tetradrachm comes with a Choice Very Fine grade from the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), with a 4/5 grade for strike quality. Today, Sicily Syracuse AR Tetradrachm Coins are available from Bullion Metals.

Comes with a plastic slab!Released between 475 and 470 BC!Issued by the city of Syracuse!4/5 strike grade!3/5 surface grade!Contains 17.12 grams of actual silver content.Graded Choice Very Fine by the NGC.On the obverse is the goddess Nike.The reverse features Arethusa with a chariot drawn by dolphins.

Released between 475 and 470 BC!

Issued by the city of Syracuse!

Contains 17.12 grams of actual silver content.

Graded Choice Very Fine by the NGC.

On the obverse is the goddess Nike.

The reverse features Arethusa with a chariot drawn by dolphins.

The tetradrachms struck at Syracuse between approximately 475 and 470 BC were produced in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Himera, the great Sicilian Greek victory over the Carthaginian invasion of 480 BC that liberated the island from the threat of Phoenician domination and ushered in a period of extraordinary cultural confidence and artistic flowering across the Greek cities of Sicily.

This Sicily Syracuse AR Tetradrachm Coin comes with a Choice Very Fine grade and a strong 4/5 strike grade. The 4/5 grade indicates a coin with strongly struck designs that retain above-average crispness and detail. The 3/5 surface grade means the coins have average surface quality with minimal or modest signs of wear and tear from handling.

On the obverse of Scilian AR Tetradrachms, you will find the right-profile bust of the goddess Nike with a quadriga that is rendered with a naturalistic vitality and technical precision that remains breathtaking in its accomplishment. The reverse of the Sicily Syracuse AR Tetradrachm is the image of Arethusa, a water nymph worshipped in Syracuse. The design captures the full-length figure of Arethusa in a chariot drawn by dolphins. This design is the defining image of Syracusan civic identity and one of the most celebrated portrait types in the entire history of ancient coinage.