Abdera

The April 2020 Coin of the Month was selected by Desirèe Brunsch, student assistant in the Thrace project section in the Berlin Coin Cabinet. She comments on this coin from the coastal Thracian city of Abdera: “On the obverse you can see a very detailed griffin with a cicada beneath its claws, a legend and a border of dots. This suggests a high level of skill in creating the die and in production. Why is there a quadratum incusum on the back that requires little skill? What is the significance of the quadratum incusum? Why didn't they choose a more elaborate motif?”