Editing Coin (section)

==== Classical Greek antiquity (480 BC~) ====
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| image2            = SNGANS 259.jpg
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| caption2          = A '''[[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracusan]] [[tetradrachm]]'''<br>(c. 415–405 BC)<br>''Obverse'': head of the [[nymph]] [[Arethusa (mythology)|Arethusa]], surrounded by four swimming [[dolphin]]s and a [[rudder]]<br>''Reverse'': a racing [[quadriga]], its [[chariot]]eer crowned by the goddess [[Nike (mythology)|Victory]] in flight.
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| caption1          = '''Tetradrachm of Athens'''<br>(c. 454–404 BC)<br>''Obverse'': a portrait of [[Athena]], patron goddess of the city, in [[Attic helmet|helmet]]<br>''Reverse'': the owl of Athens, with an [[olive]] sprig and the inscription "ΑΘΕ", short for ΑΘΕΝΑΙΟΝ, "of the [[Athenians]]"
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{{further|Ancient Greek coinage|Illyrian coinage}}
The [[Classical Greece|Classical period]] saw Greek coinage reach a high level of technical and aesthetic quality. Larger cities now produced a range of fine silver and gold coins, most bearing a portrait of their patron god or goddess or a legendary hero on one side, and a symbol of the city on the other. Some coins employed a visual pun: some coins from [[Rhodes]] featured a [[rose]], since the Greek word for rose is ''rhodon''. The use of inscriptions on coins also began, usually the name of the issuing city.

The wealthy cities of Sicily produced some especially fine coins. The large silver ''decadrachmes'' (10-drachmes) coin from [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] is regarded by many collectors as the finest coin produced in the ancient world, perhaps ever. Syracusan issues were rather standard in their imprints, one side bearing the head of the nymph [[Arethusa (mythology)|Arethusa]] and the other usually a victorious [[quadriga]]. The [[List of Tyrants of Syracuse|tyrants of Syracuse]] were fabulously rich, and part of their [[public relations]] policy was to fund [[quadriga]]s for the [[Ancient Olympic Games|Olympic chariot race]], a very expensive undertaking. As they were often able to finance more than one quadriga at a time, they were frequent victors in this highly prestigious event. Syracuse was one of the epicenters of numismatic art during the classical period. Led by the engravers Kimon and Euainetos, Syracuse produced some of the finest coin designs of antiquity.

Amongst the first centers to [[Greek coinage of Italy and Sicily|produce coins during the Greek colonization of Southern Italy]] (the so-called "[[Magna Graecia]]") were [[Paestum]], [[Crotone]], [[Sybaris]], [[Caulonia (ancient city)|Caulonia]], [[Metapontum]], and [[Taranto]]. These ancient cities started producing coins from 550&nbsp;BC to 510&nbsp;BC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/bruttium/i.html|title=Bruttium – Ancient Greek Coins – WildWinds.|access-date=8 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/lucania/i.html|title=Lucania – Ancient Greek Coins – WildWinds.com|access-date=8 September 2014}}</ref>

Amisano, in a general publication, including the Etruscan coinage, attributing it the beginning to {{circa|560&nbsp;BC|lk=no}} in [[Populonia]], a chronology that would leave out the contribution of the Greeks of Magna Graecia and attribute to the Etruscans the burden of introducing the coin in Italy.  In this work, constant reference is made to classical sources, and credit is given to the origin of the Etruscan Lydia, a source supported by Herodotus, and also to the invention of coin in Lydia.<ref name="Giuseppe Amisano 1992 pp. 15-20">Giuseppe Amisano, "Cronologia e politica monetaria alla luce dei segni di valore delle monete etrusche e romane", in: ''Panorama numismatico'', 49 (genn. 1992), pp. 15–20</ref>

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File:ISLANDS off ATTICA. Aegina. Circa 456-45-431 BC.jpg|[[Aegina]] coin type, incuse skew pattern, c. 456/45–431 BC
File:MACEDON, Akanthos. Circa 470-430 BC.jpg|Coin of [[Akanthos (Greece)|Akanthos]], [[Macedon]], c. 470-430 BC.
File:PAMPHYLIA, Aspendos. Circa 465-430 BC.jpg|Coin of [[Aspendos]], [[Pamphylia]], c. 465–430 BC.
File:KORKYRA, Korkyra. Circa 350-30-290-70 BC.jpg|Coin from [[Korkyra (polis)|Korkyra]], c. 350/30–290/70 BC.
File:CYPRUS, Paphos. Onasi(...). Mid 5th century BC.jpg|Coin of [[Cyprus]], c. 450 BC.
</gallery>