Ainos Facing Hermes Tetradrachm Replica | Hand-Struck Silver Coin

Why collectors buy this piece

• Distinctive facing portrait of Hermes wearing his characteristic petasos
• Goat reverse accompanied by a laurel wreath and the city’s Greek inscription
• Inspired by the ancient silver tetradrachm catalogued as May 408
• Connects Greek mythology with the civic coinage of Thrace
• Substantial sterling silver reproduction with a diameter of approximately 26 mm
• Individually hand-struck to recreate the irregular character of ancient coinage

Best suited for collectors interested in Greek mythology, facing portraits, Thracian coinage and animal designs on ancient coins.

Overview & Craftsmanship

This Ainos tetradrachm replica brings together two characteristic designs of the ancient Thracian city: the youthful head of Hermes and a standing goat. The nearly frontal portrait fills the obverse, with curling hair beneath a petasos edged with a row of beads.

On the reverse, the goat stands right beneath the inscription ΑΙΝΙΟΝ. Two leafy branches form an open laurel wreath before the animal, and the composition sits within a recessed square.

Each replica is individually hammered in solid sterling silver. The striking process produces differences in flan shape, centering and relief, giving each coin its own surface character.

Historical & Numismatic Background

• Ainos, also known as Aenus, was a Greek city in Thrace near the mouth of the River Hebrus.
• Hermes was the city’s patron deity and a recurring subject on its silver coinage.
• His petasos, a broad-brimmed traveller’s hat, is one of his identifying attributes.
• The facing portrait belongs to a later development of Ainos’s coinage, following earlier issues showing Hermes in profile.
• The goat is associated with Hermes’s pastoral role, while accompanying field symbols help distinguish individual issues.
• This reproduction follows the goat-and-wreath design documented under May 408.

Numismatic References:

Reference for the ancient type represented:

– J. M. F. May, Ainos: Its History and Coinage, no. 408 — ancient die pairing A247/P289

– Comparable published specimen: Nomos 8, 22 October 2013, lot 65

Technical Details & Variations

Type: Ainos facing Hermes and goat tetradrachm replica

Denomination represented: AR Tetradrachm

Authority / Mint: Ainos, Thrace

Era represented: 4th century BC

Material: Sterling silver, 925 fineness

Weight: approx. 16-17 gr

Dimensions: approx. 25-26 mm

Manufacturing method: Hand-struck (hammered)

Obverse: Youthful head of Hermes facing, turned slightly left, wearing a petasos with a beaded rim
Legend:
Anepigraphic

Reverse: Goat standing right, with an open laurel wreath in the field before it; design within an incuse square
Legend:
ΑΙΝΙΟΝ

Due to the traditional hand-striking process, variations in weight, diameter, strike, and surface are expected.

Intended Use

Suitable for:

– collections of ancient Greek coin replicas

– educational displays about Greek mythology and coinage

– historical study and reenactment collections

– numismatic gifts

Replica Disclaimer

This item is a hand-struck sterling silver replica inspired by ancient Greek coinage. It is not an original ancient coin.

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