14/7/2004 – 4/10/2004

Special Exhibition Gallery,
Hong Kong Museum of History

No additional charge(admission fee to the Museum is required:HK$10/$7/$5)

Free admission on Wednesdays

Greek coinage began in Asia in the 7th century BC and ended in Egypt in the 1st century BC. This exhibition offers a dazzling array of gold, silver and bronze coinage from the renowned Zhuyuetang Collection – some of the finest surviving ancient Greek coins. A total of 126 coins are grouped into 18 sections, each covering a key chapter in the story of Greek coinage.

The exhibition puts the coins into the context of major historical events and trends, embracing the Lydian Kingdom, the Persian Empire, the Greek city-states, the exploits of Alexander the Great, the rule of his successors, and the eventual collapse of the last Greek kingdom at the hands of Rome. Visitors will find the coins an impressive art gallery of imaginative miniatures engraved with remarkable craftsmanship. The wide variety of designs includes Greek gods, goddesses and heroes, historical events, symbols of city-states, and royal portraits as well as allusions to the religious ceremonies associated with the ancient Olympic Games.