copy, exhibit case layout

Object label written for the reinstallation of the Greek and Roman Galleries of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art. 

Unknown artist, Greek
Four-drachma coin (tetradrachm), ca. 394-304 BCE
Silver

Helios was an eastern sun god who was assimilated into Greek culture. On this coin, his unique frontal depiction allows his hair to fan out, much like the rays of the sun. Roses like the one on the reverse of the coin were so abundant on the island that it was said that sailors could smell the shore miles away. Here, it is also a pun on the name of Rhodes, which sounds very similar to the Greek word for flower, rhodon.