Obolos 16

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 268-262 BC. Pentobol or Drachm of Ptolemaic weight (Silver, 16 mm, 3.56 g, 7 h), probably struck as small change to be used by Ptolemaic troops during the early years of the Chremonidean War (268-261 BC). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet. Rev. Owl with spread wings, standing three-quarters facing to right; to right, amphora. Agora 28. SNG Copenhagen 85. Svoronos pl 24, 4-8. Very rare, historically important, and with a most attractive, old cabinet toning. Very fine.

From the Vineyard Collection, ex Kölner Münzkabinett 80, 5 November 2003, 36.

This is one of the rarest of all Athenian silver issues. Struck during the Chremonidean War, during which Athens allied with Ptolemy II Philadelphos against Antigonos Gonatas of Macedon, the pentobols correspond, in terms of weight, to Ptolemaic drachms and were minted to facilitate transactions with the Ptolemaic forces that guarded Attica's coastline. This is because those troops were actually paid in Ptolemaic tetradrachms, of which a number have been found in Attica and they themselves would have not been easily exchangeable with the local silver coins of Attic weight.