Nomos AG
obolos 22 6 Mar 2022
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TROAS. Abydos. Circa 500-480 BC. Diobol (Silver, 9 mm, 1.17 g). Eagle with wings folded standing to left. Rev. Incuse square with swastika pattern to right. Klein 292. Cf. SNG Ashmolean 953 (reverse described as a quadripartite incuse square, but probably a swastika). Lightly toned. Very fine.
Although it is much more prevalent as ornamentation in other artforms, the swastika does appear occasionally on ancient Greek coins, as seen here. It is perhaps most commonly found as a design of incuses, which were anvil dies used to force the metal through to the obverse design when striking a coin. The swastika is found world-wide and has various meanings, but it's precise meaning in ancient Greece has yet to be deciphered, if indeed it had any other significance than as a simple design element. Some scholars have argued that it symbolizes Zeus's thunderbolt. If so, the pairing on this coin with an eagle obverse becomes obvious and very interesting.
Although it is much more prevalent as ornamentation in other artforms, the swastika does appear occasionally on ancient Greek coins, as seen here. It is perhaps most commonly found as a design of incuses, which were anvil dies used to force the metal through to the obverse design when striking a coin. The swastika is found world-wide and has various meanings, but it's precise meaning in ancient Greece has yet to be deciphered, if indeed it had any other significance than as a simple design element. Some scholars have argued that it symbolizes Zeus's thunderbolt. If so, the pairing on this coin with an eagle obverse becomes obvious and very interesting.