Even since antiquity, residents of Chios considered that Homer was their compatriot – and the coins representing the poet hugely attest to that fact. These coins date mostly in the 1st and 2nd century A.D. and they depict a bearded Homer sitting on a throne and holding a cylinder in his right hand. These coins do not have a nominative value, like common coins, since according to researchers, they were connected to a local celebration and were minted on a commemorative occasion. In fact, it is believed that they drew their inspiration from a cult statue of Homer placed in the city of Chios.