CLASSICAL GREEK CIVILIZATION
THRACIAN CHERSONESE (MODERN DAY GALLIPOLI PENNINSULA OF TURKEY)
FOURTH CENTURY BC SILVER HEMIDRACHM CERTIFIED BY NGC CHOICE EXTRA FINE
OBV: FOREPART OF A MANED LION REGAURDANT.
REV: BIPARTITE INCUSE.
THE CHERSONESOS WAS FOUNDED IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY BC BY SETTLERS FROM THRACE. THEY FOUNDED 12 CITIES. IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY BC ATHENS FOUNDED A MAJOR COLONY AND FORTIFIED THE PENNISULA UNTIL THE PERSIAN CONQUEST IN 493 BC.
AFTER THE DEFEAT OF PERSIA BY ATHENS, THE CHERSONESE WAS AGAIN UNDER ATHENIAN RULE AND A MEMBER OF THE DELIAN LEAGUE EXCEPT FOR BRIEF SPARTAN HEGEMONY DURING THE PELOPONESSIAN WAR.
THE 4TH CENTURY, THE TIME IN WHICH THIS COIN WAS STRUCK, SAW A BITTER RIVALRY OVER CONTROL OF THIS STRATEGIC GREEK FOOTHOLD IN ASIA BETWEEN ATHENS AND KING PHILIP II OF MACEDON.
THE LAND WAS CEDED TO PHILIP II, FATHER OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, IN 338 BC, AND BECAME A PART OF THE KINGDOM OF MACEDON.
CONTAINS 2.34 GRAMS OF SILVER
13 MM TO 11 MM IN DIAMETER
