Delphic Silver Stater - Short History

On the obverse, the head of Demeter, goddess of grain and fertility, the Greek Mother Goddess. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres, from whom the word "cereal" derives.

On the reverse, God Apollo, sitting on the Omphalos, the "center of the world", located as it was believed in Delphi, holding a lyre and laurel branches.

The Delphic Stater is one of the rare coins of the Delphic Amphictyonic League (around 336-334 BC).

The amphictyony was an association of neighboring states, formed around a religious center. The most important of them, was the Delphic one. Members of the amphictyony met at the same time in the same sanctuary to keep religious festivals and other matters.

Coins issued by the ancient leagues had not the "international" character of the coins issued by city-states as Athens or Corinthos. They were minted in smaller quantities and issued to meet specific at the time needs and consequently some of them circulated for a short time or for as long as the alliance was existing.

Such a coin, with a short life is the specific stater, issued after the death of Philip II of Macedonia.

The Amphictyonic league vanished at about 200 AD.

The original coin is actually exhibited in the Numismatic Museum of Athens, Greece.