Silver Obol of Massalia with Youthful Head and a Wheel
Silver Obol of Massalia with Youthful Head and a Wheel
Place of OriginFrance, Massalia (modern-day Marseille)
Date4th-3rd century BCE
DimensionsMax L: 10.13 mm (1 cm); H: 1.29 mm (0.1 cm); Weight: 0.46 grams
MediumSilver.
ClassificationMetalwork
Credit LineGift of the Popplestone Family
Object number
2006.115
Not on View
DescriptionA silver obol from Massalia (modern Marseille, France), dating to the 4th–3rd century BCE. The obverse features a youthful male head (Apollo?); the reverse shows a wheel with four spokes and the letters M-A
Label TextMassalia—modern Marseille—was the most important Greek colony in the western Mediterranean, serving as a gateway between the Greek world and the Celtic tribes of Gaul. This small silver coin features a wheel, a simple but potent symbol of the city's commercial dynamism. These "wheel obols" were struck in massive quantities and have been found in shipwrecks and hoards throughout France and Italy, testifying to Massalia's centuries-long dominance of regional trade.
5th century BCE
800-650 BCE
about 83 BCE
about 94 BCE
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