Demareteion (attributed)
480/79 BC or 470s–460s BC (various theories) ・ silver ・ 5th century BC ・ Syracuse
obverse
About the photos
The reverse is not shown on this page. Only the obverse is pictured.
The "Demareteion"—a silver coin long said to be the first decadrachm, struck at the behest of Demarete, wife of Gelon, after the Battle of Himera (480 BC). The account comes from the writings of Diodorus, compiled approximately 450 years later. In 1969, Kraay refuted the 480/79 BC theory, pointing out that, based on an interpretation of the text, it should have been a gold coin. The prevailing view now dates this silver coin to the 470s–460s BC. Head of Arethusa, retrograde inscription ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ, four dolphins. A piece to be viewed along with its legend and chronological controversy.