How to Identify the Corinth Pegasos Stater

Begin with the two devices, because the pairing is diagnostic. A Corinthian stater always shows the winged horse Pegasos on one side and a helmeted head of Athena on the other. On this coin Pegasos flies to the left and Athena faces to the right; the horse should read as a single leaping, winged figure rather than a chariot or a facing bust. Classical fourth-century style gives Pegasos a gracefully curved wing and naturalistic body, distinct from the stiffer archaic renderings.

Check size, weight, and metal in hand. A genuine stater is a thick, compact silver piece about 20-22 mm across and generally close to 8.5 grams on the Corinthian standard. The silver should look bright or evenly toned, with hand-struck relief and a die axis that varies from coin to coin. Slightly off-center strikes and irregular flan edges are normal for the period and are not by themselves signs of a problem.

Study the control marks. Corinth used the archaic letter koppa (an O with a vertical tail) beneath Pegasos on many issues, and the field beside Athena often carries small letters or symbols such as a wreath, animal, or figure. These marks, together with the style of the Athena head, are how specialists separate a true Corinth mint stater from the many colonial "Pegasi" struck at cities in western Greece, Sicily, and Epirus on the same types and standard.

Be cautious about look-alikes and authenticity. Colonial imitations can be nearly identical apart from their control symbols, so attribution depends on style and marks rather than the devices alone. Modern cast counterfeits and tooled coins exist; warning signs include a visible casting seam, a soft or granular surface, bubbles in the metal, weight well away from the expected range, or lettering that does not match known dies. For a significant purchase, favor coins with clear photographs, published references, or attribution by a specialist in Greek silver.