ClipArt ETC

This Greek ClipArt gallery offers 58 illustrations of historic coins of Greece.

Coin of the city of Acanthus.

Acanthus

Coin of the city of Acanthus.

Coin from the city of Aegina.

Aegina

Coin from the city of Aegina.

An illustration of a coin with depicting the face of Alexander the Great.

Alexander Coin

An illustration of a coin with depicting the face of Alexander the Great.

(356 B.C.-323 B.C.) Greek leader

Alexander the Great

(356 B.C.-323 B.C.) Greek leader

Alexander the Great's head on a silver coin of Lysimachus in 321-281 B.C.

Coin of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great's head on a silver coin of Lysimachus in 321-281 B.C.

"Coin of Alexander the Great. Alexander, at the time of his father's death, was in his twentieth year, having been born in B.C. 356." — Smith, 1882

Coin of Alexander the Great

"Coin of Alexander the Great. Alexander, at the time of his father's death, was in his twentieth year,…

Coin of the Greek city of Amphipolis.

Amphipolis

Coin of the Greek city of Amphipolis.

"Antiochus III. (Coin)" — Morey, 1903

Antiochus

"Antiochus III. (Coin)" — Morey, 1903

Medal of Antiochus Epiphanes.

Antiochus Epiphanes

Medal of Antiochus Epiphanes.

"Called also navis aperta, a ship which had no deck but was merely covered with planks in the front and hinder part, as is represented in the following cut. The ships which had decks were called cataphracti. At the time of the Trojan war the Greek ships had no decks, but were only covered over in the prow and stern." — Smith, 1873

Aphractus

"Called also navis aperta, a ship which had no deck but was merely covered with planks in the front…

"An ornament of wooden planks, which constituted the highest part of the poop of a ship. From the representations of two ancient ships annexed, we see the position of the aplustre. It rose immediately behind the gubernator, who held the rudder and guided the ship, and it served in some degree to protect him from the wind and the rain." — Smith, 1873

Aplustre

"An ornament of wooden planks, which constituted the highest part of the poop of a ship. From the representations…

The obverse and reverse sides of an ancient coin of Athens.

Coin of Athens

The obverse and reverse sides of an ancient coin of Athens.

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

Athenian Coin

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

Coin of Athens.

Athens

Coin of Athens.

"Coin of Athens." — Smith, 1882

Coin of Athens

"Coin of Athens." — Smith, 1882

"Attic Drachma" — Morey, 1903

Attic Drachma

"Attic Drachma" — Morey, 1903

"Gold appears not to have been coined at Athens till the time of the Macedonian empire, with the exception a solitary issue of a debased coinage in 407. But from a very early period the Asian nations, and he Greek cities of Asia Minor and the adjacent islands, possessed a gold coinage, which was more or less current in Greece. Herodotus says that the Lydians were the first who coined gold; and the stater of Croesus appears to have been the earliest gold coin known to the Greeks. The dario was a Persian coin. Staters of Cyzicus and Phocaea had a considerable currency in Greece. There was a gold coinage in Samos as early as the time of Polycrates." — Smith, 1873

Aurum

"Gold appears not to have been coined at Athens till the time of the Macedonian empire, with the exception…

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

Carian Coin

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

Coin of Chios

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

The front of a Greek silver coin weighing on the average around 193 grains, first issued by the kings of Pergamum, probably in the second century B.C.

Cistophorus

The front of a Greek silver coin weighing on the average around 193 grains, first issued by the kings…

The back of a Greek silver coin weighing on the average around 193 grains, first issued by the kings of Pergamum, probably in the second century B.C.

Cistophorus

The back of a Greek silver coin weighing on the average around 193 grains, first issued by the kings…

This illustration shows currency from the ancient city of Rhodes.

Coin of Rhodes

This illustration shows currency from the ancient city of Rhodes.

An old coin, with a man's head on one face, and a man harvesting grain on the other.

Ancient coin

An old coin, with a man's head on one face, and a man harvesting grain on the other.

A Greek coin, with an elderly man on it.

Greek coin

A Greek coin, with an elderly man on it.

"Coin of Corcyra" — Morey, 1903

Corcyra Coin

"Coin of Corcyra" — Morey, 1903

"From a medal of Lepidus, represents an olive crown." — Anthon, 1891

Olive crown

"From a medal of Lepidus, represents an olive crown." — Anthon, 1891

"The Nemian and Isthmian games occurred more frequently than the Olympic and Pythian. They were celebrated once in two years, the Nemian in the valley of Nemea between Phlius and Cleonae, and the Isthmian by the Corinthians, on their isthmus, in honour of Poseidon (Neptune)." — Smith, 1882

Isthmian crowns

"The Nemian and Isthmian games occurred more frequently than the Olympic and Pythian. They were celebrated…

The coin was first struck in commemoration of the gold crown sent by the Carthagininians to Demarete. Weighs about 43 grams.

Damareteion

The coin was first struck in commemoration of the gold crown sent by the Carthagininians to Demarete.…

The coin was first struck in commemoration of the gold crown sent by the Carthagininians to Demarete. Weighs about 43 grams.

Damareteion

The coin was first struck in commemoration of the gold crown sent by the Carthagininians to Demarete.…

"The principal silver coin among the Greeks. The two chief standards in the currencies of the Greek states were the Attic and Aeginetan." — Smith, 1873. This image shows Attic Drachma.

Drachma

"The principal silver coin among the Greeks. The two chief standards in the currencies of the Greek…

"The principal silver coin among the Greeks. The two chief standards in the currencies of the Greek states were the Attic and Aeginetan." — Smith, 1873. This image shows Aeginetan Drachma.

Drachma

"The principal silver coin among the Greeks. The two chief standards in the currencies of the Greek…

"The surrounding of the punchmark with a band bearing a name, and the introduction of a head in its center, gradually led to the perfect reverse. There is a remarkable series of so-called 'encased' coins struck in Magna Graecia, of which the reverse is an exact repition in concave of the relief of the obverse." — Chambers, 1881

Encased Coin

"The surrounding of the punchmark with a band bearing a name, and the introduction of a head in its…

Episema were used in Greece as a symbol for a country, region, or used on a shield or badge. This episemon depicts a lion's head with a fish in its mouth.

Episemon

Episema were used in Greece as a symbol for a country, region, or used on a shield or badge. This episemon…

"Coin of Eretria" — Morey, 1903

Eretria Coin

"Coin of Eretria" — Morey, 1903

Four representations of men with ensis falcati.

Ensis falcatus

Four representations of men with ensis falcati.

"A sickle; a scythe; a pruning knife or pruning hook; a bill; a falchion; a halbert. As culter denoted a knife with one straight edge, falx signified any simpiliar instrument the single edge of which was curved. By additional epithets the various uses of the falx were indicted. Thus the sickle, because it was used by reapers, was called falx messoria; the scythe, which was employed in mowing hay, was called falx famaria. A rare coin published by Pellerin, shows the head of one of the Lagida, kings of Egypt, wearing the Diadema, and, on the reverse, a man cutting down corn with a sickle. The lower figure is taken from the MSS. of Columelia, and represents a falx vinitoria, or pruning knife of a vinedresser." — Smith, 1873.

Falx

"A sickle; a scythe; a pruning knife or pruning hook; a bill; a falchion; a halbert. As culter denoted…

"Rods bound in the form of a bundle, and containing an axe in the middle, the iron of which projected from them. These rods were carried by lictors before the superior magistrates at Rome, and are often represented on the reverse of consular coins. The following woodcuts give the reverses of four consular coins; in the first of which we see the lictors carrying the fasces on their shoulders; in the second, two fasces, and between them a sella curulis; in the third, two fasces crowned, with the consul standing between them; and in the fourth, the same, only with no crowns around the fasces." — Smith, 1873.

Fasces

"Rods bound in the form of a bundle, and containing an axe in the middle, the iron of which projected…

"Gazzetta of the Ionian islands, 1801. A small copper coin, worth about 3 farthings, made in Venice for the Ionian islands." -Whitney, 1911

Obverse and Reverse Sides of a Gazzetta

"Gazzetta of the Ionian islands, 1801. A small copper coin, worth about 3 farthings, made in Venice…

A coin used as currency by the ancient Greeks.

Grecian Coin

A coin used as currency by the ancient Greeks.

"In the reign of Philip of Macedon, the coinage of Greece had attained its full development, having a perfect reverse. One of the earliest specimens of the complete coin is a beautiful medal struck at Syracuse, with the head of Proserpine accompanied by dolphins, and for reverse a victor in the Olympic games in a chariot receiving a wreath from Victory-a type which is also found on the reverse of the staters of Philip of Macedon, known as Philips, and largely imitated by other states." — Chambers, 1881

Greek Coin

"In the reign of Philip of Macedon, the coinage of Greece had attained its full development, having…

"Lampadedromia, torch-race, and often simply, Lampas, was a game common throughout Greece. At Athens we know of five celebrations of this game: one to Prometheus at the Prometheia, a second to Minerva at the Panametheia, a third to Vulcan at the Hephaesteia, a fourth to Pan, and a fifth to the Thracian Diana or Bendis. The three former are of unknown antiquity; the fourth was introduced soon after the battle of Marathon; the last in the time of Socrates. The race was usually run on foot, horses being first used in the time of Socrates: sometimes also at night. The preparation for it was a principal branch of the Gymnasiarchia, so much so indeed in later times, that Lampadarchia, seems to have been pretty much equivalent to the Gymnasiarchia. The gymnasiarch had to provide the lampas, which was a candlestick with a kind of shield set at the bottom of the socket, so as to shelter the flame of the candle; as is seen in the following woodcut, taken from a coin, He had also to provide for the training of the runners, which was of no slight consequence, for the race was evidently a severe one, with other expenses, which on the whole were very heave, so that Isaeus classes this office with the choregia and trierarchia, and reckons that it had cost him 12 minae." — Smith, 1873

Lampadephoria

"Lampadedromia, torch-race, and often simply, Lampas, was a game common throughout Greece. At Athens…

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

Lydian Coin

The obverse and reverse sides of one of the earliest coins.

"Lyre, with seven strings. From a coin of Chalcis." — Smith, 1882

Lyre coin

"Lyre, with seven strings. From a coin of Chalcis." — Smith, 1882

"Coin of Macedonia." — Smith, 1882

Coin of Macedonia

"Coin of Macedonia." — Smith, 1882

"Minerva is often represented on gems and coins, hurling the thunderbolts of Jove. The following cut, so representing her, is from a silver coin of Antigonus Gona as itself copied from an ancient statue." — Anthon, 1891

Coin of Minerva

"Minerva is often represented on gems and coins, hurling the thunderbolts of Jove. The following cut,…

Coin of Mytelene, capital of Lesbos.

Mytilene, coin of

Coin of Mytelene, capital of Lesbos.

"A small coin of ancient Greece, in later times of silver, the sixth part of an Attic drachma, equal to 2.5 cents; multiples and sub-multiples of this coin were also used, and pieces of the value of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.5 oboli, and 1/2, 1/3, 11/4th of an obolus respectively are to be found in collections." — Winston's Encyclopedia, 1919

Obolus

"A small coin of ancient Greece, in later times of silver, the sixth part of an Attic drachma, equal…

An illustration of a coin with the face of Perseus of Macedonia. Perseus the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths in the cult of the Twelve Olympians. Perseus was the hero who killed Medusa and claimed Andromeda, having rescued her from a sea monster.

Perseus of Macedonia Coin

An illustration of a coin with the face of Perseus of Macedonia. Perseus the legendary founder of Mycenae…

"Coin of Perseus, king of Macedonia." — Smith, 1882

Coin of Perseus

"Coin of Perseus, king of Macedonia." — Smith, 1882

An illustration of a coin with the face of Philip V of Macedonia. Philip V was King of Macedonia from 221 BC to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of Rome.

Philip V of Macedonia Coin

An illustration of a coin with the face of Philip V of Macedonia. Philip V was King of Macedonia from…

"Coin of Philip V., king of Macedonia." — Smith, 1882

Coin of Philip V

"Coin of Philip V., king of Macedonia." — Smith, 1882

"Puteal, properly means the enclosure surrounding the opening of a well, to protect persons from falling into it. It was either round or square, and seems usually to have been of the height of three or four feet from the ground. It was the practice in some cases to surround a sacred place with an enclosure open at the top, and such enclosres, from the great similarity they bore to putealia, were called by this name. there were two such places in the Roman forum; one of these was called Puteal Libonis or Scribonianum, because a chapel in that place had been struck by lightning, and Scribonius Libo expiated it by proper ceremonies, and erected a puteal around it, open at the top, to preserve the memory of the place. The form of the puteal is preserved on several coins of the Scribonian gens. This puteal seems to have been near the atrium of Vesta, and was a common place of meeting for usurers. The other puteal was in the comitium, on the left side of the senate-house, and in it were deposited the whetstone and razor of Attus Navius." — Smith, 1873

Puteal

"Puteal, properly means the enclosure surrounding the opening of a well, to protect persons from falling…

"The figure in the middle of the following illustration is from a most ancient specimen of Etruscan sculpture, and represents an augur with his <em>lituus</em>, or staff. The others are Roman denarii." &mdash; Anthon, 1891

Sculpture and coins

"The figure in the middle of the following illustration is from a most ancient specimen of Etruscan…

"Coin of Seleucus." &mdash; Smith, 1882

Coin of Seleucus

"Coin of Seleucus." — Smith, 1882

"Coin of Syracuse." &mdash; Smith, 1882

Syracuse, coin of

"Coin of Syracuse." — Smith, 1882

Tetradrachm, a Greek coin showing the face of Perseus, king of Macedon.

Tetradrachm of Perseus

Tetradrachm, a Greek coin showing the face of Perseus, king of Macedon.

Tetradrachm, a Greek coin showing the face of Philip V, king of Macedon.

Tetradrachm of Philip V

Tetradrachm, a Greek coin showing the face of Philip V, king of Macedon.

An illustration of a coin depicting the face of Zeus.

Head of Zeus Coin

An illustration of a coin depicting the face of Zeus.