Art Institute of Chicago
Stater (Coin) Depicting a Sea Turtle
GreekLinkedCulture matchlcp-c416821d8abc
- Date
- 510-485 BCE
- Medium
- Silver
- Culture
- Aegina
- Department
- Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Object ID
- 142732
From the Art Institute of Chicago record
Coins of Aegina depicted images of sea turtles on their coins when the island of Aegina was the supreme sea power among the Greek city-states. The sea turtle, seen here on the front (obverse) of this coin, represented its naval strength and resiliency. After its defeat by Athens in 458 BCE, Aegina ceased using the sea turtle and substituted the land tortoise to symbolize its lost sea power. On the back (reverse) of this coin is a geometric design comprised of a square with a windmill-like pattern.
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Provenance & credit
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- Credit line
- Gift of William F. Dunham
- Provenance
- William F. Dunham (1857-1936), Chicago; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1920.
Linked open data
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- Object type
- AAT300037334
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