ATHENA AND NIKE
Image courtesy Stack's Rare Coins
This lovely coin was struck during the lifetime of Alexander the Great and a for few years after his death in 323 B.C.E. It is made of gold and pictures Athena on the front (obverse) and the figure of Nike (Victory) on the reverse (back). The name of this coin is distater which means Double Stater. Even though this scarce coin is 2400 years old, its estimated cost is around $9000.
The stationary die would be carved into the surface of a large piece of metal like an anvil, and would usually have the more complicated design. The movable die was on a bar of metal which was hand-held. Movable dies wore out faster than the stationary ones.
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