• Finest Quality Ancient Greek, Roman & Byzantine Coins
  • Renaissance & 17th Century Dutch Medals
  • Auctions & Private Treaty Sales

Obolos 10

30 June 2018
Webauction
overview
Starting Price: 3500 CHF
Hammer Price:  6000 CHF
Lot 17

SICILY. Syracuse. Second Democracy, 466-405 BC. Dilitron (Gold, 11 mm, 1.77 g, 5 h), signed by the engraver Mi..., struck circa 406. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ Head of Athena to left, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with a coiled serpent and a palmette; below neck, engraver’s initials; to left, fillet bearing the name of the Syrakusans. Rev. Facing head of the Medusa, with tongue outstretched, at the center of an aegis ornamented with coiling snakes. C. Boehringer, “Zu Finanzpolitik und Münzprägung des Dionysios von Syrakus”, Essays Thompson, pl. 38, 12. Same dies as Roma XI, 2016, 114. Very rare, one of a few known examples. Some scratches on the obverse, otherwise, very fine.



This lovely gold coin was struck just at the end of the 5th century, when all Sicily was going through the crisis caused by the Carthaginian invasion. Akragas had probably already fallen when this coin was struck and Dionysios I was just coming to power in Syracuse – he soon authorized a much more extensive coinage of gold for military use. The dies for this coin were engraved by the artist Im..., (or perhaps Mi...) who also signed a Syrakusan tetradrachm die (Tudeer 67: for the beautiful but worn example in the British Museum, see Kraay & Hirmer 113).

Online bidding closes: 30 Jun 2018, 16:12:00 CEST Current Date & Time: 28 Mar 2024, 17:14:52 CET Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:6000 CHF by MailBidder2074 (5 bids)
An error has occurred. This application may no longer respond until reloaded. Reload 🗙
Reconnecting, please wait...