Ancient Greece, Islands of Thrace, Apollonia Pontika, ca. 450 to 400 BCE. A fine pair of silver drachma from Apollonia Pontika depicting a frontal face of Medusa with large eyes, mouth agape, and a radiating coiffure of serpents. The reverse bears an upright anchor and a petite crawfish in incuse. Each coin is set within a modern 18K gold setting and oriented to display the gorgoneion faces in an upright manner. A small suspension loop atop each coin setting holds a gold-filled shepard's hook with a dangling teardrop-shaped latch on each. Wearable and ready to accentuate any ensemble! Size of each earring: 0.45" W x 1.25" H (1.1 cm x 3.2 cm); total weight: 8.4 grams.

Medusa, most famous of the three gorgons (human women with venomous snakes for hair) is from the Classical world of mythology. The concept of the gorgon, a frightening, beast-like, female creature, is at least as old as Homer and continued to be used as a monstrous symbol throughout the Roman period, especially popular as decoration on pottery.

Provenance: private Boulder, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Brooklyn, New York, USA collection

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#136639

Built in modern times and wearable as shown. Coins are ancient with 18K gold and gold-filled components being modern. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, slight indentations and bending to gold settings and shepard's hooks, light tarnishing to gold and gold-filled components, and some fading to coin details. Light earthen deposits across coins.