Few ancient coins capture the imagination quite like this one. On the obverse, a fearsome creature strides across the coin face — the body of a lion, a horse-head protome rising from its back, a serpent curling upward as its tail. On the reverse, a dove rests peacefully within a wreath of olive branches. Monster and peace symbol. Power and beauty. War and divine favour — on opposite sides of the same disc of silver.
The Chimaera Lion & Dove Greek Coin is one of the most visually striking designs in ancient Greek coinage — and one of the most symbolically rich. To understand why ancient Greeks paired these two images, you need to understand the mythology of the Chimaera, the city-states of the Peloponnese, and the way ancient Greeks thought about the relationship between power and peace.
- What Is the Chimaera?
- Bellerophon and the Chimaera — The Myth Behind the Coin
- Sicyon and the Peloponnese — The City-States That Minted the Chimaera
- The Dove — Sacred Bird of Aphrodite
- Power and Peace — Why Ancient Greeks Paired These Two Symbols
- The Coin Itself — Chimaera and Dove
- Collecting the Chimaera Dove Coin Today
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Chimaera?
The Chimaera was one of the most fearsome creatures in Greek mythology — a hybrid monster born of Typhon and Echidna, the same monstrous pair who produced the Hydra, Cerberus, and the Sphinx. The Chimaera combined three animals into one terrifying form: the body and head of a lion, a goat's head rising from the middle of its back, and a serpent for a tail. Ancient sources also describe it as capable of breathing fire.
It was not merely a monster — it was a symbol of chaos, the unnatural, and the forces that threatened the ordered world of gods and men. To defeat the Chimaera was to impose order on chaos, civilisation on wilderness, reason on brute force.
The Chimaera — lion body, horse-head protome, and serpent tail — one of the most fearsome creatures in Greek mythology, and the defining image of Sicyonian coinage.
Bellerophon and the Chimaera — The Myth Behind the Coin
The hero who slew the Chimaera was Bellerophon — one of the great heroes of Greek mythology, and a figure closely associated with the city of Corinth and the wider Peloponnese region. Bellerophon's weapon was not a sword or a spear, but the winged horse Pegasus, which he tamed with a golden bridle given to him by the goddess Athena.
Riding Pegasus high above the Chimaera, Bellerophon was able to attack the monster from the air, beyond the reach of its fire and claws. According to some versions of the myth, he drove a lump of lead into the Chimaera's throat on the tip of his spear — the creature's own fire melted the lead, choking it to death.
The story of Bellerophon and the Chimaera was one of the most celebrated myths in the ancient Greek world — a tale of heroism, divine favour, and the triumph of human ingenuity over monstrous chaos. For the city-states of the Peloponnese, minting the Chimaera on their coins was a declaration of that heritage: we are the people of Bellerophon.
Sicyon and the Peloponnese — The City-States That Minted the Chimaera
The Chimaera coin design is most closely associated with Sicyon — an ancient Greek city-state in the northern Peloponnese, situated between Corinth and Achaea. Sicyon was one of the oldest and most culturally significant cities in ancient Greece, renowned for its art, sculpture, and painting long before Athens rose to prominence.
Sicyon's coins featuring the Chimaera-type creature were among the most distinctive in the ancient world. The walking lion with the horse-head protome rising from its back was instantly recognisable as a Sicyonian design — a civic emblem that declared the city's mythological heritage and its connection to the heroic tradition of the Peloponnese.
The Peloponnese — the large peninsula forming the southern part of mainland Greece — was home to some of the most powerful city-states in antiquity: Corinth, Sparta, Argos, and Sicyon among them. Each developed its own distinctive coinage, and the Chimaera became one of the most celebrated civic symbols of the region.
The ancient Peloponnese — home of Sicyon, Corinth, and the heroic tradition of Bellerophon, whose defeat of the Chimaera defined the region's mythological identity.
The Dove — Sacred Bird of Aphrodite
Turn the coin over, and the mood changes entirely. Where the obverse is all power and menace, the reverse offers something gentle and serene: a dove, perched within a wreath of olive branches.
The dove was the sacred bird of Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, and divine favour. In the ancient Greek world, the dove represented peace, love, and the protection of the gods — a counterpoint to the martial imagery of the obverse. The olive wreath surrounding it reinforced this message: olive branches were the symbol of peace, victory, and the favour of Athena.
Together, the dove and the olive wreath created one of the most powerful peace symbols in the ancient world — an image that said, simply: this city is under divine protection, and its people live in harmony with the gods.
Power and Peace — Why Ancient Greeks Paired These Two Symbols
The pairing of the Chimaera and the dove was not accidental. Ancient Greek coin designers were sophisticated thinkers who understood that a coin carried meaning on both sides simultaneously. The two images were meant to be read together — as a statement about the nature of the city that issued them.
The Chimaera declared military power, mythological heritage, and the capacity to overcome chaos. The dove declared divine favour, civic harmony, and the blessings of peace. Together, they captured the duality at the heart of ancient Greek culture: the belief that a truly great city was both powerful enough to defeat its enemies and wise enough to cultivate peace.
This same duality appears across ancient Greek coinage. The Apollo Kithara coin paired the god of light and reason with his sacred instrument of harmony. The Rhodes Helios Rose coin paired the radiant sun god with the island's gentle rose emblem. In each case, the two sides of the coin told a complete story about the values of the city that struck it.
The Coin Itself — Chimaera and Dove
The artistry of the Chimaera coin is exceptional. The obverse shows the creature in full stride — the lion's powerful body rendered with careful attention to musculature and movement, the horse-head protome rising dynamically from its back, the serpent tail curling upward with naturalistic energy. Greek letters beneath the ground line identify the issuing authority. The composition is bold, dynamic, and immediately striking.
On the reverse, the dove within its olive wreath is rendered with equal care — the bird's feathers detailed, its posture calm and composed, the wreath framing it in a perfect circle. The contrast with the obverse could not be more deliberate.
Our Chimaera Lion & Dove collectible replica captures both sides of this design in antique silver finish with high-relief classical detail — struck in brass with silver plating and an aged antique patina that captures the worn, tactile quality of a genuine ancient find.
The Chimaera Lion and Dove coin — power and peace on opposite sides of the same ancient Greek collectible, one of the most symbolically rich designs in classical coinage.
Collecting the Chimaera Dove Coin Today
Authentic ancient Sicyonian Chimaera coins are rare outside specialist collections and museum holdings. When genuine examples appear at auction, they command significant prices — particularly well-struck pieces with clear detail on both the Chimaera obverse and the dove reverse.
Our Chimaera Lion & Dove collectible replica offers collectors a way to engage with this remarkable design directly — to hold a coin that captures one of the most celebrated mythological creatures in the ancient world alongside one of its most enduring symbols of peace.
You can explore the full range of ancient Greek coin designs in our Ancient Coins collection.
Add one to your collection — free worldwide shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chimaera in Greek mythology?
The Chimaera was a fearsome hybrid monster in Greek mythology — combining the body of a lion, a goat's head rising from its back, and a serpent for a tail. Ancient sources also describe it as capable of breathing fire. It was born of Typhon and Echidna and was slain by the hero Bellerophon riding the winged horse Pegasus.
Who was Bellerophon?
Bellerophon was one of the great heroes of Greek mythology, closely associated with Corinth and the Peloponnese. He tamed the winged horse Pegasus with a golden bridle given by Athena, and used Pegasus to defeat the Chimaera by attacking from the air. His story was one of the most celebrated myths in the ancient Greek world.
Why did Sicyon put the Chimaera on its coins?
Sicyon was an ancient Greek city-state in the northern Peloponnese with deep connections to the heroic tradition of Bellerophon and the Chimaera myth. Minting the Chimaera on their coins was a declaration of mythological heritage and civic pride — a statement that Sicyon was the city of heroes who overcame chaos and monsters.
What does the dove symbolise on the reverse of the coin?
The dove was the sacred bird of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, and represented peace, divine favour, and harmony. Paired with an olive wreath — the symbol of peace and Athena's blessing — the dove on the reverse created a powerful counterpoint to the martial Chimaera on the obverse, representing the full spectrum of Greek civic values.
What is the Peloponnese?
The Peloponnese is the large peninsula forming the southern part of mainland Greece, connected to the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. In antiquity it was home to some of the most powerful Greek city-states, including Sparta, Corinth, Argos, and Sicyon. The region had a rich mythological heritage closely tied to heroes like Bellerophon, Heracles, and Perseus.
Is the One More Coin Chimaera Dove coin an authentic ancient coin?
No. Our Chimaera Lion & Dove coin is a modern commemorative replica inspired by the original ancient Sicyonian coin design. It is not issued by a government mint, not legal tender, and not an investment product. It is produced as a collectible for display and hobby collecting purposes.
Because every collection deserves one more coin.
