Denomination: Tetra Drachma
Mint: Athens, Greece
Weight: 16.2 gm
Date: 454-405 BCE
Mount: Sterling Silver
Description: ATTICA, Athens AR Tetradrachma (25.4mm, 16.2gm). Obverse: Helmeted head of Athena right, with frontal eye. Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind; all within encused square. Reverse: Owl standing right, test cut, lightly off center on the obverse
History: Athena was primarily the goddess of the Greek cities, of industry and the arts, and, in later mythology, of wisdom; she was also goddess of war, a patron of the agricultural arts and of the crafts of women, especially spinning and weaving, among her gifts to man were the inventions of the plow and the flute. The arts of taming animals, building ships, and making shoes are included in her attributes, and she was often associated with birds, specifically the owl.
