Watch List notes:

ATTICA, Aegina. 525-480 BC. AR stater (11,94 g). Sea turtle with heavy collar and row of dots (worn away) / Incuse square with small skew pattern. Bankers marks on shell. Lightly toned. Aegina is an island in the Saronic gulf, today about one hour ferry ride from Piraeus (Athens harbor city). It had two good, and defendable harbors that could support a substantial fleet of merchant ships and war ships. The city grew wealthy from maritime trading in the Aegean. It is therefore no surprise that the city and island of Aegina, was the first in Greece, even the first in Europe, to produce coins – the didrachm stater weighing around 12 grams. The coins show a sea-turtle the obverse and an incuse punch on the reverse. During the Peloponnese war (431-404 BC) Athens expelled the Aeginians and settled Aegina with Athenians. After the war Sparta helped to restore the Aeginians to their island. The turtle coins came back, but now with a land-turtle/tortoise on the obverse. The Aeginians were no longer the masters of the sea. Grade:1