Ancient Greek Hemidrachm coin featuring pottery urn and shield of Thebes mounted in a 14Kt yellow gold pendant. Certificate of Authenticity.

Denomination: Hemidrachm    Date: 426-375 BCE  Obverse/Reverse: Pottery of Thebes / Shield   Certificate:  ID11568

 Arch-rival to Athens and allies to the Spartans in the Peloponnesian wars, Boeotia was a region of ancient Greece and Thebes was its capital.  Thebes is birthplace of many mythological stories including Dionysus, Oedipus, and Cadmus. The coinage of Thebes may be thought of as ‘ancient advertisement’, with a trophy or urn depicted on the front, and a shield on the back.  These people were artistic, intelligent, and strong both politically and militarily. As neighbors of Greek Attica, Thebes was a major force to be reckoned with.  It was the most dominant city-state at the time of the Macedonian conquest, and home of the Boetian confederacy.  In 336 BC, Thebes was destroyed by Alexander the great, but later restored by Kassander.