Classical Numismatic Group

Triton XXIII  –  14 - 15 January 2020

Classical Numismatic Group, Triton XXIII

Ancient, British and World Coins

Part 1: Tu, 14.01.2020, from 3:00 PM CET
Part 2: Tu, 14.01.2020, from 8:00 PM CET
Part 3: We, 15.01.2020, from 3:00 PM CET
Part 4: We, 15.01.2020, from 8:00 PM CET
The auction is closed.

Description

★ Ex Ambrose and Moretti Collections ★

SICILY, Katane. Circa 461-450 BC. AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 16.86 g, 11h). River-god Amenanos as a man-headed bull kneeling right; above, satyr running right, hands extended and raised before him; in exergue, ketos right / Nike running left, wearing long chiton, holding a fillet in her extended right hand; KATA-N-AION clockwise around from upper left. Mirone 19 (same dies); HGC 2, 560; SNG ANS –; SNG Lloyd 887 var. (Nike holds two fillets); Basel 323 ( this coin ); Dewing –; Gillet –; Gulbenkian –; Kraay & Hirmer 28; Rizzo pl. IX, 14 (same obv. die). Old collection tone, some porosity. Good VF. Well centered and exceptional for issue. Rare.

From the Jonathan P. Rosen Collection. Ex Ambrose Collection (Roma XIII, 23 March 2017), lot 80; A. D. Moretti Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica 13, 8 October 1998), lot 323.

This beautiful piece is from the first coinage struck at Katane following the liberation of the city from Syracusan domination in the late 460s BC. The obverse of this series features the local river god Amenanos in the guise of a man-headed bull. On the reverse, the spirited figure of Nike holding a diadem appears, like so many Sicilian coin types, to have an agonistic significance, as well as an allusion to the recent victory of the native Katanaians and the recovery of their city. Nearly all published examples of this issue have double-struck reverses.

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Bidding

Price realized 22'500 USD
Starting price 4'500 USD
Estimate 7'500 USD
The auction is closed.
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