Art Institute of Chicago

Diobol (Coin) Depicting an Ear of Grain

Greek; minted in Metapontum, Italy

Date

500-473 BCE

Medium

Silver

Culture

Metaponto

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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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