Coin: Drachm or Didrachm, Taranto

This Greek coin is a silver Didrachm or Drachm from Tarentum, modern day Taranto, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Italy, as well as Sicily, was part of Magna Graecia (Great Greece) and had Greek colonies. It was struck in the late 4th century BCE. The obverse contains a naked youth riding a horse with its foreleg raised. There are Greek letters above and below the horse. The reverse displays Taras riding a dolphin, which saved him after a shipwreck, and brandishing a triton. He founded the city of Taras where he reached land. To the right of Taras is an owl.