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Even Athena appears to be leaving this Gorgon / Athena coin


thenickelguy

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My other recent purchase. I had some fun leaning Greek denominations and what an obol was.

PISIDIAselge350-300BCObolGorgoneioAthenaOBV.jpg.3d9240b7cb15f81ed86266be72b8ee1e.jpg

PISIDIAselge350-300BCObolGorgoneioAthenaREV.jpg.d12364b2d40653ace2107c24d6228b7a.jpg

PISIDIA. Selge 4th c BC obol gorgoneion/Athena astragalus

PISIDIA. Selge. Ca. 4th century BC. AR obol (9mm, 0.9 gr 7h). NGC VF. Head of gorgoneion facing with flowing hair / Head of Athena right, wearing crested, winged Attic helmet; astragalus to left.

Most resembles
Sear 5473    Selge Pisidia AR Trihemiobol. ca 4th-3rd Century BC. Gorgoneion facing / head of Athena right, astragalos behind head. BMC 7; SNG von Aulock 5281; McLean 9015; Sear Greece 5473.

The Gorgoneion features the head of the Gorgon Medusa, whose tragic tale is well-known in Greek mythology.

Medusa was a Gorgon who was cursed by the Greek goddess Athena for being raped by Poseidon in her temple. The curse turned her, once a beautiful woman, into a hideous monster with snakes for hair and a stare that would instantly kill anyone who looked into her eyes.

Medusa was slain by the Greek hero Perseus, who beheaded her while she slept and gifted her severed head to Athena. 
Even when completely severed from her body, Medusa’s head continued to turn anyone who gazed upon it into stone.

I have seen Clash of the Titans (1981) movie a couple times. The best part was when Perseus cut off Medusa's head.

Athena accepted the gift and placed it on her aegis (a goatskin shield). It’s said that the head protected Athena during many battles. Athena and Zeus, along with several other major Olympian deities are hardly ever depicted without the Gorgoneion. In this way, Medusa’s head eventually morphed into a symbol of protection.

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Selge or Aspendos, gorgoneion/Athena countermarked with another gorgoneion:

selge-countermarked-both.jpeg.cb6d333f99ffb3083746deb77760494b.jpeg
obol, 14mm, 0.88 gm.  (Possibly a contemporary imitation.)
ex Heritage, Auction #232221, May 2022, lot #64167

Photo from NGC Photo Vision.

I've seen similar countermarks on Aspendos wrestler staters and Persian sigloi.  

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