Olympia AR Hemidrachm, the 103rd Olympiad

Olympia , Hera mint. AR Hemidrachm (14-16 mm, 2.76 g), 368 BC (the 103rd Olympiad).
Obv. Head of Hera right, wearing stephane bearing the letters F A Λ E I O N.
Rev. Eagle standing right with wings slightly raised, looking back.
De Luynes 2258 (same dies); cf. Seltman pl. Xii, 29 (recut in modern times?).

Very rare. Fine.

From the BCD collection and ex Leu 90 (2004), 117.

Late in the 103rd Olympiad the Arcadians captured the sanctuary, turning it over to the Pisatans, under whose auspices the 104th Olympiad took place in 364. To pay their troops the Arcadians melted down gold dedications from the sanctuary in order to produce an emergency series of gold coins, of which only a few genuine examples survive (as BMC p. 76, 1 and pl. XVI, 8). This so shocked Greek opinion that the Arcadian were forced to withdraw and the Eleans recovered control of the sanctuary. Coinage for Olympia resumed in time for the games of 360.