Nomos 26

TROAS. Dardanos. early 5th century BC. Obol (Silver, 8.5 mm, 0.65 g). Rooster standing to left. Rev. Criss-cross lattice work design. Klein 303. M&M FPL 560, November/December 1992, 560. SNG Ashmolean 1119. Rare. A pleasingly curious coin with an attractive grey toning. Obverse struck from a slightly worn die, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions.


Dardanos used a rooster as its symbol on its early coinage, perhaps because of that animal’s relation to the sunrise or because of a lost myth connecting it with the Dardanians, an ancient people who supposedly lived in this area and were closely connected to the Trojans; their founder, Dardanos, was the grandfather of Tros, the eponymous founder of the Kingdom of Troy.