Art Institute of Chicago

Diobol (Coin) Depicting an Ear of Grain

Greek; minted in Metapontum, ItalyLinkedCulture matchlcp-81b066ca535c

Date: 500-473 BCE
Medium: Silver
Culture: Metaponto
Department: Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago
Object ID: 9709

From the Art Institute of Chicago record

The front (obverse) of this coin depicts an ear of barley. The back (reverse) depicts a bull with its head and horns facing downwards. A fillet, or headband, adorns its brow. Metapontum became wealthy through farming rather than trade. By illustrating the ear of grain on its coins, the city-state reminded its trading partners of its agricultural abundance.

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Provenance & credit

As published by the source institution. Coverage varies — not every institution's open-data feed includes ownership history.

Credit line: Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze
Provenance: Mrs. William Nelson (Helen T.) Pelouze (1866-1953), Chicago; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1923.