Heritage Auctions

Weekly Auction 231915  –  12 April 2019

Heritage Auctions, Weekly Auction 231915

Ancient and World Coins

Fr, 12.04.2019, from 3:00 AM CEST
The auction is closed.

Description

BACTRIA. Early Hellenistic era. Sophytes (?) (ca. 305-295 BC). AR tetradrachm (23mm, 17.03 gm, 6h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 4/5. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over brow guard and a spiral palmette on the bowl; ΗΥΩ monogram to left / AΘE, owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig, crescent and grape bunch in left field. cf. HGC 12, 1-2. Very rare! An outstanding specimen of this enigmatic coinage, with a well-centered head of Athena. The Seleucid-era Greek settlement of Bactria may have been carried out under a general or satrap named Sophytes, whose and possible portrait name appear on a somewhat later series of coins. After the initial issue of Bactrian "owl" coinage (see previous lot), a later group "owl" was struck on a somewhat reduced standard, with monograms and various symbols as control marks, of which this example is one of the finest surviving specimens. These are now provisionally ascribed to Sophytes. All of these early Bactrian pieces are rare, but a number have appeared on the market recently, reputedly from a 1960s-era find that resided for many years in Germany.

HID09801242017

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Price realized 6'000 USD
Starting price 500 USD
Estimate 1'000 USD
The auction is closed.
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