This was meant as a pun, as the Greek word for rose (rhodos) sounded just like the name of the city. Known as the Colossus of Rhodes, the statue was one of the seven miracles of the ancient world. The Rhodians had also devoted a massive statue to the God. Their obverse side featured the sun-god Helios, the husband of the island of Rhodes. Their high quality combined with the rich Rhodian history also means that they are among the finest numismatic coins of the Classical Period. Without a doubt, Rhodian coins are among the most beautiful ancient Greek coins.

Rhodes was one of the few Greek cities with enough wealth to produce gold coinage in the Attic standard. These conquests brought wealth and fame to the Rhodian capital which kept growing. This quickly expanded to include areas in Asia and the surrounding islands. In 408/7 BCE the cities of Lindos, Ialysos, and Kamyros founded the city of Rhodes to be the capital of their newfound state. Head of Helios in ¾ (obv.) and Rose (rev.), Silver didrachm of Rhodes, 400-333 BCE, American Numismatic Society We will focus specifically on cities from mainland Greece, the Aegean islands, and Asia Minor. In this article, we will explore 15 distinctive ancient Greek coins of the Classical period. Their added value is mainly a result of their ancient history and rarity. This means that they are worth more than the value of their precious metal and are therefore valuable collectibles. Today ancient Greek coins are also numismatic coins.

At that point in history, the Greek world was divided into roughly 2.000 city-states most with their unique coin production and imagery. The Greek Classical period lasted from the Ionian revolt (500 BCE) to the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE). It is not an exaggeration that ancient art reached a high point in Classical Greece. Owl (rev.), Silver tetradrachm of Athens (left), 450-06 BCE, The British Museum Amphora and rose (rev.), Silver stater of Thebes (center), 378-35 BCE, The British Museum Sphinx (obv.), Silver drachm of Chios (right), 412-334 BCE, Coin Archives

Ancient coin league of legends