[Ulrike Scheibe / Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte]
A rare 3rd‑century BC bronze coin depicting the goddess Athena was found in a field in Spandau, Berlin, marking the first discovery of its kind in the region. The 12‑millimeter coin was formally presented by Berlin’s State Office for Monument Protection and has been on display at Petri Berlin since April 15.
Minted between 281 and 261 BC in ancient Ilion (Troy), it shows Athena with a helmet and Athena Ilias holding a spear and spindle. The site also contains traces from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman period and early Middle Ages. How the coin reached Berlin remains unknown, though ancient Mediterranean-Northern European links are known to have existed.