Hellenistic Bronze Coin

Hellenistic
323 BCE - 31 CE

11/16 in. (diameter) x 1/16 in. (1.7 cm x 0.2 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• Athena
• bronze - Refers to a broad range of alloys of copper, specifically any non-ferrous alloy of copper, tin, and zinc or other trace metals. Bronze was made before 3,000 BCE -- possibly as early as 10,000 BCE, although its common use in tools and decorative items is dated only in later artifacts. The proportions of copper and tin vary widely, from 70 to 95 percent copper in surviving ancient artifacts. Because of the copper base, bronze may be very malleable and easy to work. By the Middle Ages in Europe, it was recognized that using the metals in certain proportions could yield specific properties. Some modern bronzes contain no tin at all, substituting other metals such as aluminum, manganese, and even zinc. Historically, the term was used interchangeably with "latten." U.S. standard bronze is composed of 90% copper, 7% tin and 3% zinc. Ancient bronze alloys sometimes contained up to 14% tin.
• chitons - Tunics, short or long, and generally of linen, worn by men and women in ancient Greece.
• coins - Pieces of metal stamped by government authority for use as money.
• Hellenistic - Refers to the ancient Greek period, culture, and art of ancient Greece that lasted from about 330 BCE to 31 BCE, when Augustus defeated Cleopatra and Mark Antony. It is characterized by an international culture that was ushered in by Alexander the Great's conquest of India, Egypt, and the Near East. In architecture and art, the style is marked by greater sophistication, complexity, and diversity than was known in earlier Greek styles. Architecture diverges from strict rules of earlier periods. Sculptors emphasized more realistic figures in a greater variety of poses than in earlier Greek art.
• shields - General term for armor pieces carried in the hand or on the arm, used to parry an opponent's blows or provide shelter from projectiles. They have existed worldwide throughout history in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and materials.
• torches - Lights consisting of an open flame emitted from a stick-like handle, usually carried by hand or mounted on a wall or pole. Torches originally consisted of a stick of resinous wood or bundles of fiber soaked with pitch, wax, resin, tallow or other flammable substance. In later usage, includes other sorts of lamps on poles that are designed to be carried like torches.