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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Greece| ▸ |Aegina||View Options:   | | | Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, 17 miles (27 km) from Athens. According to tradition, the island is named for Aegina, the mother of Aeacus, who was born on and ruled the island. During ancient times Aegina was a rival to Athens, the great sea power of the era. Aegina was probably the first place in Europe to issue coinage, because of that the turtle coin type is considered a "must have" by many ancient coin collectors. |
"Greek Turtles" minted on the island of Aegina were most likely the first coins struck in Europe. They were popular in their own time and accepted for payment far from the island. Because they were the first European coin type and because they are attractive and interesting, the "Greek Turtle" is considered a "must have" by many ancient coin collectors.GS112504. Silver stater, HGC 6 433 (S); Meadows Aegina Group IIc; Asyut Group VI; SNG Cop 503; SNG Munchen 536; Milbank -, BMC Attica -, F, tight flan, bumps and marks, punch on rev., weight 11.808 g, maximum diameter 19.0 mm, Aigina (Aegina) mint, c. 525 - 475 B.C.; obverse sea-tortoise (Chelone Caouana) or common loggerhead turtle of the Mediterranean, collar at the top and row of six dots down the middle the ridge of the shell; reverse incuse square with skew device; from the P.S. Collection, ex Calgary Coin, ex Alberta Coins, ex Harlan J. Berk, ex Lewis Egnew Collection; scarce; $500.00 (€470.00)
Aegina, Saronic Islands, Greece, c. 456 or 445 - 431 B.C.
Kraay, Archaic and Classical Greek Coins, 1976, p. 47, says the tortoise coins with a segmented shell were probably introduced c. 456 B.C., perhaps connected with the capture of Aegina by the Athenians in 457/456, or maybe in 445, when the Thirty Years Peace guaranteed Aegina's autonomy.SH77372. Silver stater, HGC 6 437 (S); SNG Delepierre 1793; SNG Cop 516; SNG Munchen 561; BMC Attica p. 137, 146; Kraay 127; Dewing 1683; Milbank pl. 2, 12; SGCV I 2600, aEF, attractive tortoise struck in high relief, banker's marks, light graffito obverse left field, flan crack, weight 11.987 g, maximum diameter 22.2 mm, Aigina (Aegina) mint, c. 456/445 - 431 B.C.; obverse land tortoise (Testudo marginata), shell segmented into 13 plates, seen from above; reverse incuse square divided into five compartments by bands in a skew pattern; ex Heritage Auction 3020 (Long Beach, 6-11 Sep 2012), lot 24968; scarce; SOLD
Aegina, Saronic Islands, Greece, c. 480 - 457 B.C.
The turtle coin type is considered a "must have" by many ancient coin collectors because Aegina was probably the first place in Europe to issue coinage.SH87350. Silver stater, HGC 6 435; Meadows Aegina group IIIa; BMC Attica p. 132, 85; SNG Cop 507; SNG Delepierre 1524; SNG Munchen 548; Dewing 1658, VF, well centered, nice light toning, countermark or banker's mark on shell, bumps and scratches, small edge cracks, weight 12.393 g, maximum diameter 20.3 mm, die axis 180o, Aigina mint, c. 480 - 457 B.C.; obverse sea turtle, head in profile, collar with three arcs (trefoil collar), row of dots down the center of the shell and two additional dots below the collar (T-back type), countermark (fish?) on shell; reverse incuse square divided into five irregular shaped sunken compartments (large skew pattern); ex Hixenbaugh Ancient Art (New York), ex Dr. Arthur Ziegler Collection (1992); SOLD
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