Molon Labe Type III 1 oz Silver Round
A Spartan warrior braces beneath a shower of arrows on this one-ounce .999 fine silver round from Intaglio Mint. With spear and shield in hand amid a battlefield scene, the design gives form to one of antiquity’s best-known expressions of defiance: Molon Labe, commonly translated as “come and take them.”
The Story Behind the Words
The saying is traditionally associated with Leonidas, king of Sparta, and the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC. At Thermopylae, a narrow passage between the mountains and the coast, Spartans fought alongside other Greek allies against the army of Xerxes. The setting made the pass a powerful symbol of resistance against overwhelming numbers.
In his Sayings of Spartans, Plutarch records a demand from Xerxes that Leonidas surrender his arms, followed by the terse reply remembered as Molon Labe. Plutarch wrote centuries after the battle, so the exchange is best understood as a famous ancient literary tradition rather than a surviving eyewitness transcript.
That distinction leaves the phrase’s enduring appeal intact. Its brevity makes the challenge unmistakable, while its association with Thermopylae connects the words to a specific episode in Greek history. On the Type III design, the kneeling warrior and descending arrows turn that compact answer into a dramatic battlefield scene.
Design Details
- Obverse: A soldier in Spartan regalia kneels among fallen enemies, holding a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right as arrows descend around him. The words “MOLON LABE” curve around the top.
- Reverse: The high-relief Intaglio Mint logo rests on a radial burst within a stippled border. “ONE TROY OUNCE” appears above, with “.999 FINE SILVER” and flanking stars completing the design.
Specifications
- Weight: 1 troy ounce
- Purity: .999 fine silver
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Thickness: 3.10 mm
- Edge: Reeded
- Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated
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