archaicwonder:Stater from Argos, Argolis c. 370-350 BCExtremely rare, only one of two known examples
archaicwonder:Stater from Argos, Argolis c. 370-350 BCExtremely rare, only one of two known examples of this coin.The coin shows the head of Hera to the right, her hair flowing down the back of her neck, wearing stephane ornamented with palmettes, earring and necklace of pearls. On the reverse, ΑRΛΕΙOΝ, two dolphins swimming in a circle to left; between them, Corinthian helmet right between Ε-Μ.Argos only produced a very small number of staters, all of which were minted within a rather limited period of time, probably circa 370-350 when both Spartan and Theban domination of the Peloponnesos had fallen away. The Argive issues seem to fall into three groups: a small series at the beginning with head left, a main series with compact heads of Hera, and a later outlying group (pictured), which has a large, elegant, and ‘pretty’ head of the goddess that differs in concept from those on the two preceding groups. It also differs in its the ethnic, with a lambda-like gamma and an omicron rather than an omega. Reminiscences of this head can be found on later staters from Crete, thus making it likely that some coins of this type found their way to that island in the purses of returning mercenaries. -- source link