Timeline of Ancient Greek Coins and Events

Historical Events and Eras Numismatic EventsArchaic Period (prior to 500 BC)

2200 BC1400 BC12

C. BC1200-900BC900-800 BC776 BCc. 750 BC750-550 BCEarliest palaces of theMinoan civilization onCreteEarliest MycenaeanpalacesTrojan War, depicted inHomer’s

Iliad

Destruction of Myceneancivilization; the Dark AgesPopulation and agriculturebegin to revive; iron usedfor tools and weaponsFirst Olympic GamesGreek city-states begin toformGreek colonies form allaround the Mediterranean:Western Turkey, NorthAfrica, Italy and SicilyColonies become future sites of diverse coinages, each with itsown “tipos” or design-typeLate 7

C.BC (Perhaps650-625)By Early 6

C. BC560-546 BC Reign of King Croesus of Lydia (“rich as Croesus”)First coins struck in electrum,probably in Lydia (west coast of Turkey), from Temple of Artemisat Ephesos: striations, lion’shead, cocksDiverse early electrum coinagesestablished in Asia Minor, fromCyzicus (Sea of Marmara) in thenorth to Halicarnassus in thesouthCroesus abandons electrum infavor of bimetallic coinage of gold and silver, with head of lion

575-550 BC546 BC530 BCOracle of Delphi tellsCroesus: “If you make waron the Persians, you willdestroy a mighty empire.”Croesus attacks thePersians and his empirefalls. Eastern coast of Mediterranean nowcontrolled by Persians.Pythagoras migrates fromisland of Samos toSouthern Italy.confronting bull (siglos, double-siglos), with gold:silver ratio of 1:13 1/3.First silver staters (“Turtles”)minted on island of Aegina,Europe’s first mint, replacingcurrency of obelos (iron spits) anddrax (a handful of six obelos),from which the terms “obol” and“drachma” are derived.Silver coinages appear at Athens(Gorgons, amphora, wheels, etc.;the “Wappenmünzen,” literally,“heraldic coins”), Corinth(Pegasus), and other island andmainland city-statesAt Athens, evolution towardsdouble-sided coinsIn Lydia, Persians continueminting coins with lion and bullfor about 30 years after Croesus’defeatElectrum continues in use in thenorth, at Mytilene, Phocaea,Lampsacus and Cysicus.“Incuse” coinages appear in city-states of Magna Graecia: Sybaris,Metapontion, Kroton, Kaulonia,Poseidonia)