The Story Behind Every Ancient Greek Coins you Hold in Your Hand

We all have hear about ancient Greek coins, but do you know that this small metal tells a story — of a city’s pride, a god’s favor, or a ruler’s ambition. So, these small coins of silver and bronze are like time machines that connect us with history, like wars, cities marketplaces from over two thousand years ago.

But when you first hold one, think about this coin it can tell a lot of mysterious. So, you may ask What does the owl mean? Why is there a tiny letter beneath the chin of Athena? How can you tell where it was minted? All this questions we gonna explain here in our guide.

In this guide, we will walk you through, how to identify Ancient Greek coins? So, by understanding their symbols, legends, and mint marks, helping you uncover their origin. Below is a step by step guide to understand all the necessary information.

Step 1: Observe the Obverse and Reverse

Greek coins typically have two sides:

• Obverse (front): usually features a deity or ruler.
• Reverse (back): often carries symbols, inscriptions, or mint identifiers.

When identifying a coin, start by noting:

• The metal (silver, bronze, gold, electrum)
• The diameter and weight
• The main figure on each side
• Any letters, monograms, or marks

A simple setup like a magnifying glass and good light can reveal tiny details — such as the engraver’s signature or a city’s monogram.

Step 2: Understanding Greek Coins Symbols

Symbols were the visual language of the ancient Greek world. Each one had meaning and helped citizens instantly recognize their city’s currency.

Common Ancient Greek Coins Symbols and Their Meanings

Symbol Meaning / Association Example City or Coin Type

🦉 Owl Wisdom of Athena Athens tetradrachm
⚡ Thunderbolt Zeus, power of the sky Olympia, Elis
🐬 Dolphin Sea trade, Poseidon Tarentum (Magna Graecia)
🐎 Horse Cavalry, strength, victory Thessaly, Corinth
🦁 Lion Courage and power Miletus, Cyzicus
🐍 Serpent Healing, Apollo, Asclepius Epidaurus
🌿 Olive Wreath Peace and prosperity Athens, Attica
🐝 Bee Fertility, cult of Artemis Ephesus

These symbols are not decorative — they carry civic and religious identity. For example, the Athenian Owl tetradrachm was so trusted that it became the “dollar” of the ancient world. Merchants from Egypt to Persia recognized the owl as a mark of pure silver and stable value.

🔗 Internal link suggestion: Explore more about the Athenian Owl coin here →

🏺 Step 3: Decoding Greek Legends

Greek coins often include legends (inscriptions) identifying the issuing authority. Most legends appear in Greek letters, typically around the edge or beside the main design.

Abbreviations of the city name:

• ΑΘΕ (AΘE) = Athens
• ΚΟΡΙ (KORI) = Corinth
• ΡΟΔΙ (RODI) = Rhodes

Names of rulers or magistrates:

• e.g. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ – ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ = “Of King Alexander” (Alexander the Great)

Religious references:

Some coins include names of gods or their symbols, e.g. ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΟΣ (of Apollo).

When you match the letters and symbols, you can often pinpoint the city, ruler, and period.

🪶 Collector’s tip: Use a soft brush to gently remove dust before examining inscriptions. Many Greek coins have partial letters, so patience and light angles are key.

🔗 Internal link suggestion: Learn how to read Greek coin legends →

Step 4: Identifying Mints and Monograms

Mint marks are small symbols or letters that indicate where the coin was struck. These were often found in corners of the reverse or near the design elements.

Example Mint Marks and Cities:

Mint Mark / Monogram City Notes
Α Athens Usually paired with owl and olive sprig
Κ Corinth Often found with Pegasus motif
ΜΑ Macedon Seen on coins of Philip II
ΡΟ Rhodes With the sun symbol of Helios
ΣΥ Syracuse Common on silver tetradrachms
ΔΕ Delos Found on Apollo-themed coins

Sometimes mints used symbols instead of letters — like a trident for Poseidon’s cities or a palm tree for Phoenician influence.

Collectors often cross-reference these marks using numismatic databases like:

The British Museum Online Catalogue

WildWinds (for quick visual comparisons)

SNG ANS and SNG Copenhagen volumes

🧠 Step 5: Analyze Artistic Style and Fabric

Greek coin design evolved over centuries — from rigid Archaic portraits to lifelike Classical masterpieces.

Quick Timeline Overview
Period Approx. Years Artistic Features
Archaic 600–480 BCE Simple, symbolic, incuse squares
Classical 480–323 BCE Naturalistic portraits, fine detail
Hellenistic 323–31 BCE Realistic kings, complex reverses

By comparing style and artistry, you can estimate a coin’s period even before reading its legend.

⚖️ Step 6: Using Weight Standards for Identification

Greek cities used different weight standards for their coinage — another clue for identification.

Attic Standard (Athens): Tetradrachm ≈ 17.2 g

Corinthian Standard: Stater ≈ 8.6 g

Aeginetan Standard: Drachm ≈ 6.1 g

If your coin matches one of these weights, you can narrow its possible origin.

🪙 Example: A 17-gram silver coin with an owl → most likely Athenian tetradrachm.

🧭 Step 7: Confirm with Reference Catalogues

Once you have the main identifiers — symbol, legend, and mint mark — compare them with references like:

BMC Greek Coins (British Museum Catalogue)

Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum (SNG)

Head’s Historia Numorum

ACSearch.info for auction results and images

Online communities (like ForumAncientCoins or NumisForums) are also excellent for crowd-verifying uncertain types.

💡 Bonus: Common Misidentifications

Even seasoned collectors sometimes mix up similar designs.

Here are a few quick warnings:

Corinth vs. Pegasean Imitations: Both have Pegasus, but look at the control letters — Corinth has “ΚΟΡΙ.”

Athenian Owls vs. Late Imitations: Check for the fine feather detail; later imitations look crude.

Alexander vs. Philip II types: Similar Zeus reverse, but Alexander’s legend reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ.

Conclusion: Reading History in Metal

Learning to identify Greek coins is more than memorizing symbols — it’s about seeing the connection between art, history, and civic identity.

Each coin you identify deepens your understanding of how the ancient world thought, traded, and worshiped.
Whether it’s an owl of Athens, a lion of Miletus, or a sunburst of Macedon — these tiny masterpieces still speak, if you know how to read them.

Written by Irfan Spahillari – NumisHaven

Internal Links to Add:

/greek-coins/ – Main category

/athenian-owl-tetradrachm/ – Featured article

/coin-values/ – Value and identification guide

/how-to-identify-ancient-coins/ – Beginner companion article