History of coins · c. 450 BC
c. 450 BC: The Athenian owl
Athens strikes its silver tetradrachm with Athena and her owl in huge numbers – the first coin trusted across the Mediterranean.
Silver from the mines of Laurion allowed Athens to strike the tetradrachm, a coin of about 17 grams, in enormous quantities during the 5th century BC. One side shows the goddess Athena, the other her owl with an olive sprig and the letters ΑΘΕ.
Because their silver was reliably pure, the 'owls' were accepted far beyond Greece and widely imitated. Thanks to the large numbers struck, Athenian owls are among the more affordable classical Greek coins today – but condition, centring and style make big differences in price.
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