Sicily. Gela. Circa 480/75-475/70 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 25 mm, 17.20 g, 8 h). Bearded charioteer driving quadriga moving slowly to the right; above, Nike flying right to crown the horses. Rev. CΕΛΑΣ Forepart of man-headed bull to right, the river-god Gelas. Jenkins, Gela Group II, 104. Nomos 6 (2012) 13 (same dies). Randazzo 19. SNG Ashmolean 1727. Very attractively toned and nicely centered. Some slight surface roughness and with some very minor die breaks, otherwise, about extremely fine.
Ex Roma VI lot 369, and from the Commery Collection, acquired in England a generation ago.
This coin was struck from the prototype dies for the main series of Geloan tetradrachms: they were cut by an engraver of the greatest talent and were of exceptionally fine quality. It is worth noting that the Commery family (originally 'Commerie') was an Anglo-French one, going back to the time of Edward the Black Prince. Over the generations many in the family formed various collections, that of the Blaberidae formed by the pioneering entomologist Gaspard de la Commerie being the most esoteric. The present coin, from the numismatic holdings of a more recent generation is particularly attractive.