The Treasure of Montgó

The treasure of Montgó – ‘el tesoro de Montgó - was discovered in the spring of 1895 ‘on the slopes of the Coll de Pous in the hamlet of Jesús Pobre’. They were found inside a vessel next to a kiln, which would indicate that they were hidden by a silversmith or a person with some links to this trade. Unfortunately, they disappeared immediately after their discovery - probably sold to private numismatists.

However, Roque Chabas (the well-known Denia historian) had published in that same year in the magazine ‘El Archivo’ a careful description and valuation of the contents of this archeological find.

It consisted of a set of 16 coins totalling some 108 grams in weight, and more than 1000 grams of silver smelted into ingots. The coins were tetradrachmas and obols - units of Greek currency in use between 480-300 BC.

Translated and adapted by Joan Franklin from ‘El Parque Natural de Montgó – Un Estudio Multidisciplinario’
published by the ‘Agencia del Medi Ambient de la Generalitat Valenciana’.

Drachma – an ancient currency unit found in many Greek city states and successor states. The word derives from the Greek word meaning ‘to grasp’.
(It was much later revived as a unit of currency in modern times, and was only superseded with the introduction of the euro.)

Tetradrachma – (worth 4 drachmas) was the most widely used coin in the Greek world prior to Alexander the Great. It featured the helmeted profile bust of Athena on the obverse, and an owl on the reverse.
(This owl now appears on the national side of the Greek one-euro coin.)

Obol - a smaller unit: 6 obols = 1 drachma.

Freely translated from the Spanish and adapted by Joan Franklin:
"Parque Natural del Montgo - Estudio Multidisciplinar" - Valencia: Conselleria d'Administració Pública, Agencia del Mediambient. 1990