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1 Decadrachm, Syracuse, about 400 B.C.E.

National Museum of American History
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Object Details

Syracuse
Description
Among the most alluring coins of antiquity was the Syracuse dekadrachm. Its artistry (designed by Kimon and Euinatos, among others)and incredibly high relief have captivated coin lovers for two and a half millennia. How did the Greeks, who worked only by hand, achieve such levels of beauty?
One of those attracted by coins such as this was a dynamic American president, Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt's record as a political reformer is well known. What is less recognized is his role in reforming American money. When the President compared contemporary American coins to Classical masterpieces such as this dekadrachm, he became indignant. Why, he wondered, did the powerful, young nation he was leading tolerate its pedestrian gold and silver coinage? Why couldn't American money be more artistic? Why couldn't it be as beautiful as ancient coinage? Why couldn't it feature dramatic relief, so that every facet of its design was clear for all to see? Roosevelt acted on his thought by enlisting sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to design what many regard as the most beautiful American coin ever produced, the 1907 twenty-dollar gold piece.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Abraham A. Rosen
late 5th century BCE
late 5th century BCE
ID Number
1981.1025.0010
accession number
1981.1025
catalog number
1981.1025.0010
Object Name
coin
Physical Description
silver (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 34.3 mm; 1 11/32 in
place made
Italy: Sicily, Sicily
Related Publication
Zoomable Image and Details
Glossary of Coins and Currency Terms
Related Web Publication
http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/glossary.cfm
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
Coins
Numismatics
Coins, Currency and Medals
Legendary Coins
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_1255512
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-28d6-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • National Numismatic Collection:Introduction

    American History Museum
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