Description:
This coin was minted during the reign of Antigonus II Gonatas, in the northern Greek city of Pella, Macedonia. Antigonus was a powerful leader, who defeated the Gauls in the Balkans and firmly established the Antigonid Dynasty. In the mid-3rd century BC, he ruled over most of the Greek peninsula, including Athens and Corinth, while successfully restoring order and prosperity.
This ancient bronze coin from Macedonia features Athena wearing a crested Corinthian helmet. In Greek mythology, Athena was the goddess of wisdom, peace, warfare, strategy and reason. An armed warrior goddess, Athena appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes, including Odysseus, Jason and Hercules. She never consorts with a lover, earning the title Athena Parthenos "Athena the Virgin", hence the name of her most famous temple, the Parthenon, on the Acropolis in Athens.
The reverse side features Pan erecting a trophy. Pan was the Greek mythological companion of the nymphs and was worshipped as the god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music. His name originates from the word paein, meaning "to pasture" and he has the hindquarters and horns of a goat. Pan enjoyed playing his Syrinx flute of seven pipes and is often in the company of Dionysus, the god of wine. When accidentally awakened from his noontime nap, Pan could give a great shout that would cause flocks to stampede and this “sudden fear” is the origin of the word "panic."
