Cretan Cities
The testimony of coins
Χαρτόδετο
16,00€
This catalogue was published on the occasion of the exhibition that is jointly organised by the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Rethymno, the Museum of ancient Eleutherna and the University of Crete, at the Museum of ancient Eleutherna.
The publication presents the coinage of ancient Cretan cities and the circulation of coins on the island, in order to shed light on aspects of these cities’ history, at a time that remains somewhat obscure to research, that of the Classical and Hellenistic times in Crete.
The 124 coins that are presented in the publication are on loan from the Ephorates of Antiquities of Herakleio, Lassithi, Rethymno and Chania as well as the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection. These coins demonstrate that, in historical times, the city-states that existed in Crete were defined by indigenous populations, self-sufficiency and a distinct local identity. It is estimated that forty mints operated in Crete during the Classical and Hellenistic periods.
