Aegina Sea Turtle Stater

An Aeginetan sea turtle stater from circa 600–500 BC. This series adopted the minting technology that began in Lydia and was struck in silver; it is considered "Europe's first coinage." The obverse features a sea turtle, a symbol of maritime trade, while the reverse shows the mark of a punch. The silver was sourced from the mines of Siphnos. The Aeginetan standard, with a stater of about 12.2 grams, became the international standard in the 6th century BC and served as a common currency in the Peloponnesian sphere. This piece is in the collection of the Staatliche Münzsammlung München.