Stater: Head of Athena (obverse); Nike (reverse)
Unknown Artist
c. 325–275 BCE
Medium
gold
Dimensions
diam. 1.9 cm
Classification
Coins
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1916.979
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
As the forces of Alexander III [the Great] advanced into Asia, the city-state of Salamis, on the island of Cyprus, voluntarily surrendered itself and its mint. Salamis began producing Macedonian-style coinage, adopting a helmeted Athena on the obverse and a winged Nike offering a laurel wreath on the reverse. The rudder in the left field is the distinguishing symbol of Salamis, a nod to the city’s longstanding maritime prominence.