Your Ancient Greek Hemidrachm Coin

• Denomination: Hemidrachm
• Date: 400 - 338 BC
• Obverse (Front): The forepart of a lion looking back
• Reverse (Back): A quadripartite incuse square (a pattern of four squares) 
• Coin Metal: Silver
• Bezel Metal: Proprietary non-tarnishing sterling silver
• Articulating Bail Interior Diameter: Will accommodate chain or leather necklace up to 6.2 mm
• Pendant Size Including the Bezel (Setting): 5/8” Across, 1” Tall - About the Size of a U.S. Dime

April's Notes: Thick, round and deeply struck, the stunning details of the lion "pop" from the coin. This coin features the European Lion - a species that would soon be extinct. With its regal mane and powerful body, the lion was then, as it is now, revered for its strength, power and place as the "King of Beasts."

Referred to as “Cherronesos Hemidrachms,” you would think the mint location for your coin was the Greek city state of Cherronesos. But in Greek, Cherronesos means “peninsula” and was used as a place name for at least seven Greek colonies. The early lion Hemidrachms, like yours, are thought to originate from what was then Thrace, or Northern Greece, which is now part of modern-day Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Ancient Thrace was the site of blossoming Greek colonies at the time lion Hemidrachms were issued. Specifically, it is believed that these early issues came from the Gallipoli peninsula in what is now Turkey.

Now discovered in small hoards, the Hemidrachms of Cherronesos are some of the most treasured of all coins minted. They speak of the now distant foundations of the modern Western world. These coins are a part of the foundations of our culture that we can hold in our hands. Each is a small miracle – a precious ambassador of an ancient world that created our modern one.