Coinage began shortly after the founding in 369 B.X. of autonomous Messene, the political and economic center of Messenia, which continued to play a leading role in coin production in the years that followed. It was the only city in the region to issue a relatively significant number of coin series from the 4th century B.C. through the early 3rd century A.D., with brief periods of inactivity. Notable highlights during the 3rd century and the early 2nd century include the rare tetradrachms of Messene with iconographically identical depictions on both sides, as well as the well-dated tetradrachms struck by the city (featuring Hercules and Zeus holding an eagle) in the style and name of those of Alexander the Great around 190 B.C. The year 191 B.C. marks a turning point for Messene, as it was forced to join the Achaean League. Perhaps then, or a little earlier, it began issuing large bronze subdivisions, always featuring Demeter and Zeus on the obverse, but now also featuring the names of the mint officials on the reverse, next to the city’s monogram. At the same time, in the first half of the 2nd century B.C. and as part of its obligations as a member of the league, Messene minted silver trioboli featuring the common allied iconographic types (Zeus—Achaean monogram in a wreath), adding only the monogram or the city’s symbols as a distinguishing mark.

During the years when Augustus was laying the foundations of the Roman Empire (27 BCE and thereafter) the city of Messene appears to have been able to issue only one new series of bronze coins, and even then with depictions that were not typically Messenean: the head of Heracles and a club. In the post-Christian era, it also issued several new series featuring the head of Tyche of Messene with a turreted diadem consistently on the obverse and Zeus Ithomatas on the reverse and, for the first time, Asclepius. There is a noticeable fixation on the ancient and glorious past, even though Roman authority left no room for doubt.