Two Eagles and a Hare: CoinWeek on a Silver Obol of Akragas, c. 410-406 BCE

This article is based on an installment of the "Ancient Greek Coins" series by Russell A. Augustin of AU Capital Management, LLC, published by CoinWeek on February 19, 2026. It concerns a small silver coin, an obol, struck by the Greek city of Akragas in Sicily around 410-406 BCE.

A Wealthy City in Sicily

Akragas, modern Agrigento, was founded on the southern coast of Sicily. According to the article, it became one of the wealthiest and most powerful Greek cities in the western Mediterranean, rivaled only by Syracuse. Its prosperity was expressed in monumental architecture, including the great Doric temples that still stand at the site.

A Long-Stable Design, Then a Redesign Around 415 BCE

For nearly a century, the coinage of Akragas remained largely unchanged. Early issues typically showed Zeus' eagle on the obverse and a crab on the reverse.

The article says that rivalry among Sicily's aristocrats, seen in equestrian contests, public works and coin design, produced what it calls a numismatic arms race.

Around 415 BCE, Akragas redesigned its coinage across several denominations. The new issues show greater complexity, naturalism and ambition in composition. The article says these coins are widely regarded as among the most beautiful works of Greek coin art and were the work of master engravers active in late fifth-century Sicily.

Fine Work on a Small Denomination

The obol discussed in the article is among the smallest Greek denominations. The article says the engraver nonetheless achieved depth, motion and anatomical realism on the small flan.

The article says that in style, the obol shares clear affinities with the dekadrachms of Akragas and the so-called Skylla tetradrachms. Many scholars attribute these dies to the same workshop, if not the same engraver who made the Agrigentum dekadrachms.

Obverse: Two Eagles and a Hare

The obverse shows two eagles tearing apart a hare they have just caught. One spreads its wings and bends toward the prey; the other raises its head in triumph. The composition avoids strict symmetry.

The article says the image likely refers to a passage in the Agamemnon of Aeschylus, in which two eagles devour a pregnant hare, an omen of the destruction of Troy by Agamemnon and Menelaus.

Reverse: Crab and Fish

The reverse shows a crab, long the civic badge of Akragas, standing for the nearby Akragas River and the city itself. Below the crab is a fish, commonly identified as a sea perch; the catalog description at the end of the article identifies it as a grouper.

The article says that while earlier issues emphasized freshwater associations, this pairing may signal the city's expanding maritime interests in the late fifth century BCE.

A Special Issue?

All known specimens of this obol appear to come from a single pair of dies, suggesting limited production. The article presents the theory that the coin was not a routine circulation piece, and says it may have been a ceremonial issue, a commemorative distribution or a presentation piece for the elite.

In 406 BCE, Carthaginian forces sacked Akragas. According to the article, this ended the city's golden age and brought this period of artistic coinage to a close.

The Coin Described

The coin described at the end of the article is a silver obol of Akragas weighing 0.79 g, dated c. 410-406 BCE. The references given are Basel 263 (= SNG Lockett 519), Rizzo pl. III, 6 and SNG Lloyd 829, all noted as from the same dies. It is described as very rare and extremely fine.

Source: CoinWeek, "Ancient Greek Coins - The Eagles and Coinage of Akragas" (February 19, 2026).