Ancient and Medieval Coins Canada

Auction 1  –  1 December 2018

Ancient and Medieval Coins Canada, Auction 1

Ancient and Medieval Coins

Sa, 01.12.2018, from 6:00 PM CET
The auction is closed.

Description

★ A most famous Athenian ★

IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum under Themistokles, 465-459 BCE; AR hemiobol, 0.37g 7.5mm
Obv: Barley grain with Θ to left, E to right
Rev: Male head right (Apollo?), (flanked by M A?)
Reference: Nollé and Wenninger Th 5c
From the Severus Alexander collection. This coin was featured in the 2018 “Imperator Tournament” on CoinTalk: see tinyurl.com/themistokles.
According to Plutarch, Themistokles was no less than “the man most instrumental in achieving the salvation of Greece.” After building popular support in Athens' new democracy, he predicted the Persian threat and convinced the assembly to spend Athens’ new lode of silver on a great navy. In command, he tricked king Xerxes to lead the Greeks to victory at the great naval battle of Salamis, one of the most famous in western history. This one battle effectively removed the Persian threat and secured Greek freedom by utterly destroying Xerxes’ supply lines. Sadly for Themistokles, the Athenian assembly was fickle and he fell out of favour a decade later, to the extent of being ostracized and eventually sentenced to death. In an ironic twist, he went as supplicant to the the son of Xerxes, who gave him a governorship. This rare coin was issued from his headquarters in Magnesia.

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Bidding

Price realized 160 CAD 6 bids
Starting price 100 CAD
The auction is closed.
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