160-143 BC Greek Myrina Aeolis Silver Tetradrachm NGC Choice AU

A Very Rare and large Ancient Tetradrachm Minted in Myrina, Aeolis!

• Minted -- Myrina, Aeolis, circa 160-143 BC
• Grade -- NGC Choice About Uncirculated (CH AU), Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5  
• Obverse -- Laureate head of Apollo facing right
• Reverse -- Apollo Grynios (of the city of Grynion) standing right, holding branch and phiale; monogram to left, omphalos and amphora at feet, all within laurel wreath
• Legend -- From top to bottom behind Apollo: ΜΥΡΙΝΑΙΩΝ (Of Myrina)
• Diameter -- 33 mm

From the desk of GovMint.com’s resident ancient coin expert, David Levine:

• A very rare coin -- less than 15 are currently known to exist.
• In a search of all of the over 1,800 major ancient coin auctions of the past 16 years, only three other coins of this type have been sold.
• This is a beautiful, large coin that exhibits very high relief -- literally a work of Greek sculpture!
• On the west coast of what is now modern Turkey, Aeolis was a province of the ancient Greek world set in between the provinces of Lydia and Ionia -- home to the first coins in history.
• Looking at this coin's stunning design, it's positively amazing that the minting processes of 2,200 years ago were able to produce such gorgeous pieces of art.

The reverse of the coin has some interesting symbols. Grynion was a neighboring city of Myrina that was the site of an Oracle at the Temple of Apollo.  Here Apollo is shown at the Oracle with typical symbols from there: the phiale and the omphalos.