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Both sides of the coin - journeys and connections of Ancient Greek coins in Australia.

To celebrate the opening of the Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections exhibition at Melbourne Museum (23 April - 14 August 2022), we are highlighting a few of our own ancient Greek treasures - coins from Museums Victoria's Numismatics collection.

Ancient Greek Coins in the Numismatics Collection

Ancient Greek Coins in the Numismatics Collection Museums Victoria's numismatics collection contains an extensive number of ancient coins spanning the empires of Rome, Greece, Egypt, and the Ancient Near East. About 900 of these coins are from the ancient Greek city states. The ...

Coin - Stater, Aegina, 480-456 BCE

NU 2487 Coin - Stater, Aegina, 480-456 BCE

Numismatics & Philately

A silver stater coin issued by the city of Aegina on the island of the same name in the period 480-456BCE. Reference: BMC Attica, p.132 No.85.

Coin - Tetradrachm, Syracuse, Sicily, 485-478 BCE

NU 2318 Coin - Tetradrachm, Syracuse, Sicily, 485-478 BCE

Numismatics & Philately, Transport

A silver tetradrachm coin from the city of Syracuse, Sicily, 485-478 BCE. Issued during the tyranny of Gelon. Mint: Syracuse. Reference: BMC Sicily p.148 cf no.22. Die axis: 06.

Coin - Tetradrachm, King Alexander III (the Great), Ancient Macedonia, Ancient Greek States, 336-323 BCE

NU 18322 Coin - Tetradrachm, King Alexander III (the Great), Ancient Macedonia, Ancient Greek States, 336-323 BCE

Numismatics & Philately

A silver tetradrachm coin issued in the Empire of Alexander the Great in the period 336-323 BCE. Minted by Arados. Alexander III, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of Macedonia. Born in Pella ...

Explore our collection

Explore a wealth of collections and research about natural sciences, history, technology and Indigenous cultures from Museums Victoria in Australia.

Closeup of old typewritter keys

Articles 2,234 Read about people, places, events, and our collections

Brass pocket compass sundial

Items 112,114 Things made and used by people

Closeup shot of a butterfly

Specimens 1,246,026 Animals, fossils, and rocks in our collections

Closeup of blue coloured bird

Species 1,447 Read about some animals you might see in the wild

Explore the collection on display

Closeup of a taxidermied owl

Melbourne Museum

Closeup of a robot

Illustrated impression of a ship on water

Immigration Museum

Moving sculpture lit up by stage lights

Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

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Embroidery Sample - Ribbon Work, Violet Morgan, 1910s

SH 901270 Embroidery Sample - Ribbon Work, Violet Morgan, 1910s

Home & Community

Ribbon work embroidery sample, made by Mrs Violet Morgan in the 1910s, when she was about 22 years old (information to be verified - other sources suggest she was born in 1912). She was taught to make ribbon ...

Stone artefact, Kirkella, Central, Victoria, Australia

X 35221 Stone artefact, Kirkella, Central, Victoria, Australia

Australian Indigenous - South-eastern Australia

This grinding stone was made and used by the Djab Wurrung peoples. Stone was the heaviest and most durable material available to First Peoples across Australia. The use of metal was ...

Basket, <em>bathi minydjalpi</em>, Dhalwangu, Arnhem Bay, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1942

DT 329 Basket, bathi minydjalpi, Dhalwangu, Arnhem Bay, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1942

Donald Thomson, Australian Indigenous - Northern Australia and Queensland and Torres Strait Islands

The bathi minydjalpi is a man's ceremonial basket as indicated by the strips of cloth and elaborate appendages attached to the body ...

Ornament, arm, <em>ngambak</em>, Dhalwangu, Cape Arnhem, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1936

DT 398 Ornament, arm, ngambak, Dhalwangu, Cape Arnhem, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1936

Donald Thomson, Australian Indigenous - Northern Australia and Queensland and Torres Strait Islands

Armbands and armlets are worn by men, women and children with very small ones beng made at times for babies. Nganybak is a generic ...

Ornament, head, <em>mitjpurrkula</em>, Dhalwangu, Cape Arnhem, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1936

DT 439 Ornament, head, mitjpurrkula, Dhalwangu, Cape Arnhem, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1936

Donald Thomson, Australian Indigenous - Northern Australia and Queensland and Torres Strait Islands

Ornaments made from feathered string are a dominant part of the decorative ceremonial objects made to be worn by both men and ...

Belt, <em>Bokngarru</em>, Rembarrnga, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1983

X 97929 Belt, Bokngarru, Rembarrnga, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1983

Australian Indigenous - Northern Australia and Queensland and Torres Strait Islands

Sculpture - 'Eureka!', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1983

SH 103 Sculpture - 'Eureka!', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1983

Migration & Cultural Diversity

Sculpture 'Eureka!', created by Mr. Leon Wolowski in 1983. Leon arrived in Australia from Poland in 1949. When he retired in 1975 he took up sculpting. His works fall into two main categories, both of ...

Sculpture - 'The Woman at the Cradle', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1983

SH 105 Sculpture - 'The Woman at the Cradle', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1983

Migration & Cultural Diversity

Sculpture 'The Woman at the Cradle', created by Mr. Leon Wolowski in 1983. Leon arrived in Australia from Poland in 1949. When he retired in 1975 he took up sculpting. His works fall into two main ...

Sculpture - 'The Windlass', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1984

SH 101 Sculpture - 'The Windlass', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1984

Migration & Cultural Diversity

Sculpture 'The Windlass', created by Mr. Leon Wolowski in 1984. Leon arrived in Australia from Poland in 1949. When he retired in 1975 he took up sculpting. His works fall into two main categories, ...

Sculpture - 'The Bush Telegraph', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1984

SH 110 Sculpture - 'The Bush Telegraph', Mr. Leon Wolowski, Clay, 1984

Migration & Cultural Diversity

Sculpture 'The Bush Telegraph', created by Mr. Leon Wolowski in 1984. Leon arrived in Australia from Poland in 1949. When he retired in 1975 he took up sculpting. His works fall into two main ...

Shield, <em>Pi-kan</em>, Cardwell, Rainforest, Queensland, Australia, 1840 - 1900

X 22396 Shield, Pi-kan, Cardwell, Rainforest, Queensland, Australia, 1840 - 1900

Australian Indigenous - Northern Australia and Queensland and Torres Strait Islands

This is a typical example of the distinctive kidney-shaped shields from the rainforest area of north Queensland made from the buttress roots of ...

Shield, Darling River, New South Wales, Australia, pre 1902

X 9107 Shield, Darling River, New South Wales, Australia, pre 1902

Australian Indigenous - South-eastern Australia

Broad yangku (shields) were used in group fights to deflect spears; they are wider and lighter than the parrying yangku used in one-on-one combat. The whole structure of this yangku, ...