As patron deity of Athens, the presence of Athena dominated the obverse or front of the city’s coinage. Usually shown wearing a helmet, her appearance remained consistent over many decades from the 6th into the 5th centuries B.C.E. In Athenian sculpture the changes over the same period were dramatic, continually moving toward a life-like image. This specific coin, with its Archaic treatment of the goddess, dates to the time of the Parthenon sculptural program where sculptors had succeeded in giving the human form a convincing representation.