User:Furius/Coinage of Akragas

The Greek city of Akragas (modern Agrigento, in Sicily) was one of the first cities in the Greek west to begin minting coinage, in the late sixth century BC. It minted silver didrachms on the Corinthian weight standard throughout the fifth century BC, along with gold coinage and silver in other denominations. Further coinages were issued at various points from the late fourth to late first centuries BC. Akragas was one of the earliest Greek cities to mint fiduciary coinage in bronze.

Akragas was founded by colonists from the nearby Sicilian city of Gela around 580 BC and rapidly grew into a prosperous city, which dominated south central Sicily. Coinage first arrived in Sicily in the late sixth century BC and Akragas began minting shortly thereafter. The city achieved its highest level of prosperity under the tyrant Theron (488-473 BC), during which time it gained control of Himera on the north coast of Sicily. It produced a large coinage as part of the opposition to Carthaginian invasion in the Second Carthaginian invasion of Greek Sicily, but it was sacked by the Carthaginians in 406 BC, bringing an end to the coinage. Akragas revived in prosperity after 344 BC, becoming a major rival of Syracuse, once again minting coinage. In the First and Second Punic Wars, Akragas supported the Carthaginians and minted coinage to aid the war effort, but was sacked by the Romans in 262 BC and 210 BC. It remained an important centre in the Roman province of Sicily, continuing to mint bronze coinage until the late first century BC.

The main images on the coins are eagles and crabs, both of which had important symbolic connotations in Akragas.