One of the earliest Greek city state coins minted, the diminutive silver Cherronesos Hemidrachm is a rare survivor of Ancient Greece’s Archaic Period. Minted with a running lion looking back over his shoulder on one side, and what is called a quadripartite incuse square (a pattern of four squares) on the other, it is one of the finest examples of early coin art.
And larger in size, but every bit as significant, the Ionian silver Drachmas of the day began to be minted in the early 300s BC, with the proud lion again a prominent symbol – here partnered with the divine Apollo, god of music and dance, truth and prophecy, and healing and light.
It was during this early time that the foundations were laid for the minting of coins during Ancient Greece’s Classical Period. While we may not think about it from our modern perspective, it is these early die sinkers who pioneered one of the most enduring of all artistic expressions – numismatic art (the artistry of money).
From the very start, artists and municipalities alike celebrated the new art form by creating some of the most cherished images ever created. The mighty lion – the symbol of stately power and wealth – was a chief symbol employed by these early artisans who appreciated not only the meaning of the symbol, but the lion’s grandeur and beauty.
