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Nomos 11

9 October 2015
Zunfthaus zur Saffran, Zürich
overview
Estimate: 200000 CHF
Hammer Price:  Unsold
Lot 33

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I, 405-367 BC. Dekadrachm (Silver, 37mm, 43.51 g 7), unsigned but by Kimon, c. 404-400. Quadriga galloping to left, driven by a female charioteer who leans forward, with a kentron in her right hand and the reins in her left; above left, Nike flying right to crown the driver; in exergue below, panoply of arms on pedestal inscribed with ΑΘΛΑ. Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩ Head of Arethusa to left, her hair bound in an ampyx with a net behind, and wearing a pendant earring and a pearl necklace; around her head, four dolphins: two swimming towards each other before, one swimming downwards behind, and one nestling under the neck truncation. Gulbenkian 309. Jongkees 12. Rizzo pl. LVI, 6. Extremely rare, perfectly struck in high relief, unusually well centered and beautifully toned. A superb piece struck from one of Kimon’s most beautiful dies. Extremely fine.


Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 27, 12 May 2004, 121 and Bank Leu 61, 17 May 1995, 75.

This is one of Kimon’s masterpieces. It is in particularly fine condition, has marvelous, lovely surfaces and has beautiful toning; as such it ranks among the finest surviving coins of the late 5th century BC. The fact that these coins were designed for use as mercenary pay may come as a shock to many, but it shows the enormous pride the Greeks had in the way their coins looked. This was especially the case during the final quarter of the 5th century BC in Sicily, where wealthy city states like Akragas, Kamarina, Katane, and Syracuse competed to have the very finest die cutters in the Greek world design their coins. These series only came to an end with the destruction wrought by the Carthaginian invasion that destroyed so many of the issuing authorities.

Online bidding closes: 9 Oct 2015, 08:00:00 CEST Current Date & Time: 28 Mar 2024, 21:16:07 CET Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:Unsold

Pre-Bidding closes on 9 Oktober 2015 at 8:00 CEST. Live bidding starts at 14:00 CET and is EXCLUSIVELY available on biddr. Separate registration is required.

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