This page provides a structured overview of the major groupings, denominations, and series of Ancient Greek coinage. Due to the vast number of city-states, mints, and variations, it focuses on the principal systems rather than every individual coin type.
Archaic Period Coinage (c. 650–480 BCE)
| Series / Type | Region | Metal | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrum staters | Lydia, Ionia | Electrum | Earliest coins struck | Often irregular types |
| Electrum fractions | Lydia, Ionia | Electrum | Small fractional units | Used in trade |
| Early silver staters | Aegina, Corinth | Silver | First widely adopted silver coins | Eg. Aegina turtle |
Classical Greek Coinage (c. 480–323 BCE)
| Series / Type | Region | Metal | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetradrachm | Athens, widespread | Silver | Large denomination | Athenian owl most famous |
| Drachm | Widespread | Silver | Standard unit | Basis of many systems |
| Didrachm | Various | Silver | Double drachm | |
| Obol | Widespread | Silver | Fraction of drachm | Common small coin |
| Hemidrachm | Various | Silver | Half drachm | |
| Gold staters | Macedon, Persia-influenced | Gold | High-value coin | Philip II, Alexander III |
Hellenistic Coinage (c. 323–31 BCE)
| Series / Type | Region | Metal | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander tetradrachms | Empire-wide | Silver | Standardized imperial-style coinage | Continued posthumously |
| Seleucid coinage | Near East | Silver, bronze | Royal issues | Portrait-based |
| Ptolemaic coinage | Egypt | Gold, silver, bronze | Closed monetary system | Heavy weight standard |
| Lysimachus issues | Thrace | Silver, gold | Deified Alexander portraits | |
| Attalid coinage | Pergamon | Silver | Regional royal coinage |
Greek Bronze Coinage
| Series / Type | Region | Metal | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civic bronze coinage | All Greek world | Bronze | Local city issues | Extremely diverse |
| Chalkous and fractions | Various | Bronze | Small denomination coins | Everyday transactions |
Regional Monetary Standards
| Standard | Region | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attic standard | Athens, widespread | Based on tetradrachm | Most influential |
| Aeginetan standard | Aegina, Peloponnese | Heavier weight system | Early standard |
| Corinthian standard | Corinth | Distinct weight system | Pegasus coinage |
| Rhodian standard | Rhodes | Lighter system | Hellenistic usage |
| Phoenician standard | Levant | Regional system | Influenced eastern coinage |
Special & Notable Series
| Series / Type | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Incuse coinage | Early Greek coins with punch reverse | Archaic period |
| City-type coinages | Coins tied to specific polis symbols | Eg. owl, turtle |
| League coinages | Federal issues (eg. Aetolian League) | Shared identity |
| Temple coinage | Religious sanctuary issues | Limited circulation |
