Introduction of tetradrachm

The tetradrachm was an ancient Greek silver coin worth four drachmas, and one of the most important coins of the ancient world. The best known was the Athenian tetradrachm, called the owl because it showed Athena on one side and her owl on the other, which became a widely accepted trade currency across the Mediterranean thanks to the quality of its silver from the mines of Laurion. Other cities struck their own, such as Syracuse in Sicily, famous for its beautiful designs, and Alexander the Great's tetradrachms, which circulated from Greece to Central Asia. The coin was later issued by the Hellenistic kingdoms and in the Roman East, where it was gradually debased.

Open on the timeline