Achaea. Colony of Patrae
Commodus 177-192 CE
27.29mm 9.47g
Attribution: LHS 96 lot 565.2 (this coin)
Obverse: Laureate and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: Athena standing left in distyle temple, holding patera and spear with grounded shield; owl to left
Ex LHS Numismatics 96 – Coins of Peloponnesos / The BCD Collection (8-9 May 2006)
Ex BCD Collection
BCD 565.2; NCP page 78 no 6
Pausanias wrote (VII 20,2)
“And within the sacred percent of Artemis Laphria is a temple of Athena called Pan-Achaeis, and the statue of the goddess is ivory and gold.”
This coin appears to depict both the statue and the temple. The attribution seems likely, given the depiction of the temple and the clear image of Athena, and this being he only temple to Athena mentioned.