Velia
Nomos circa 305-290, AR 7.11g. Head of Athena r., wearing a crested Attic helmet decorated with a wreath and wing, above visor, Π and below, Φ. Rev. YEΛHTΩ[N] Lion advancing l.; behind, a palm-tree between Φ-I. Williams 490q (this coin). Gulbenkian 114 (these dies). SNG ANS 1383 (these dies). SNG Ashmolean 1357 (these dies). Historia Numorum Italy 1310.
Rare. A very interesting issue, lovely iridescent tone, minor areas of
corrosion on the edge, otherwise very fine

Ex Leu Fix Price List 1961, Lucania, 197 and New York XXVII, 2012, Prospero, 95 sales.
The coinage of Velia regularly pairs the head of Athena with a lion. Originally, the lion was depicted devouring its prey as on early coins of Phokaia (the settlers of Velia had previously come from Phokaia), but in the fourth century BC the animal was shown in a variety of poses. The lion reverse of this didrachm is particularly notable for the unusual addition of a palm tree in the background. This type is closely modeled on that of a Siculo-Punic tetradrachm struck in the name of “the People of the Camp” in c. 320-315 BC. The use of this type may perhaps provide evidence for a relationship between Velia and the Carthaginians at a time when Agathokles of Syracuse had almost entirely driven the Carthaginians out of Sicily and was turning towards expanding his Sicilian kingdom across the Strait of Messene and into southern Italy, where he conquered Bruttium and Kroton and formed an alliance with Tarentum against the Lucanians. The Velians had much to fear from Agathokles and therefore might have had friendly dealings with the Syracusan tyrant’s arch-nemesis, Carthage. On the other hand, perhaps the type merely indicates the adoption of an interesting lion type seen in trade as a means of adding further variety to the standard Velian lion reverse. The treatment of Athena is also a little unusual for the period. Whereas she is usually depicted wearing an Attic helmet adorned with a leaping griffon or a laurel wreath on the bowl, here the decorative motifs seem to be mixed together. The wreath is visible as is a wing, but the body of the griffin is omitted. Sicily and was turning towards expanding his Sicilian kingdom across the Strait of Messene and into southern Italy, where he conquered Bruttium and Kroton and formed an alliance with Tarentum against the Lucanians. The Velians had much to fear from Agathokles and therefore might have had friendly dealings with the Syracusan tyrant’s arch-nemesis, Carthage. On the other hand, perhaps the type merely indicates the adoption of an interesting lion type seen in trade as a means of adding further variety to the standard Velian lion reverse. The treatment of Athena is also a little unusual for the period. Whereas she is usually depicted wearing an Attic helmet adorned with a leaping griffon or a laurel wreath on the bowl, here the decorative motifs seem to be mixed together. The wreath is visible as is a wing, but the body of the griffin is omitted.