Large Tetradrachma of Naxos coin pendant

The Coin Pendant Tetradrachma of Naxos is the reproduction of an ancient Greek coin from 460 BC. Made of 925 silver, this pendant faithfully reproduces the details of the original coin.

On the front of the ancient coin, the head of the god Dionysus is depicted. The reverse, however, shows a satyr in ecstasy with his member erect, a typical feature of representations in ancient Greek art linked to the iconography of Dionysus.

The engraver made sure to detail the images in great detail to fit them into the small space of the coin: the skill in the representation of the muscle mass, the facial expression and the pointed ear is also notable.

Characteristics

• Material: 925 Silver
• Weight: about 14 g
• Dimensions: 0.79 × 0.98 × 0.16 in (2 x 2.5 x 0.4 cm)
• Produced in Italy

Historical Curiosities

In the Greek world, the most common image is a representationof the city's patron deity.

Naxos, the first colony founded by the Greeks in Sicily on the east coast, was the first city to mint coins in Sicily.

From the second half of the 6th century BC, Dionysus is depicted on coins minted in Naxos around 530 BC, to celebrate the God and the wine produced on the fertile slopes of Etna.

The images and words engraved on the coins are functional to the identification of the issuing authority (poleis, state or sovereign), under whose authority the coin was minted.