Corinth was an important city in ancient times due to its advantageous position of being close to the isthmus connecting the Saronic and Corinthian Gulfs.  The isthmus connects the Peloponnese to mainland Greece which helped boost the importance of Corinth. In addition, Corinth had a large citadel, the Acro Corinthus, which further strengthened their strategic position.

Often Corinth was involved in some military battles due to its strategic relevance. Eventually the city was taken by Philip II of Macedon and remained under Macedonian control until the Romans destroyed the city in 146 BC.

The coinage of Corinth and the surrounding cities are beautifully designed with a vibrant pegasus on the obverse and a head of Athena on the reverse. The earliest of the corinthian “colts” were struck in the early part of the 6th century BC. The pegasus was on the obverse and a mill sail incuse on the reverse were the initial motifs. Later, this transitioned into an archaic Athena and Pegasus. Over time the Athena became more classical in stature. The colonies around Corinth all used similar motifs and varied the symbol below the pegasus to denote which city-state it came.