A few entries ago in our series following along with Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Ancient Coins, author Harlan J. Berk introduced us to a decadrachm from Athens. This time around, he has us zeroed in on tetradrachms approximately 20 years later. Let us look further at Berk’s theories surrounding these coins. Also, it is important to note that this top 100 list features coins from the earliest onward. This means that their rankings are out of order.
#10 – Athens Tetradrachm (Greece – 440BC)
Berk states right off the bat that author of The Temple Coins of Olympia, Charles Seltman, inaccurately stated that Athens began what they called the “Civic Mint” in 520 BC. It never existed, despite the sheer number of dies created during that period. Berk also claims that of the approximately 100 dies created, that only around 40 were of the “highly creative type” that would create such coins as the first and second tetradrachms from Athens. While Berk claims that dating these two coins around 440 BC is an inference on his part, he is confident in doing so. Seltman, he claims, thought that coins of this caliber could not be produced for circulation and deemed them presentation medallions.
Berk states that the coins are trial patterns introducing a new design for the tetradrachm. The first is estimated to be the beginning of the series as it is struck in high relief on both the obverse and reverse. Maintaining the dies for such a coin would be extremely difficult as strike inconsistencies and details would wear over time. This is what led to the second coin from the Athenians striking the tetradrachm in a lower relief with Berk noting that it was done so at the end of the series. This second strike can also be identified by the lower right of the coin, featuring the olive branch facing upwards rather than the crescent moon being added in what would become the standard design.