LUCANIA. Metapontum. Circa 340-330 BC. Didrachm or nomos (Silver, 20 mm, 7.70 g, 7 h), very possibly either a contemporary imitation or struck from dies cut by a mint apprentice learning from a master engraver. Head of Nike to right, looking downwards, wearing a diadem ornamented with upright olive leaves and a triple-pendant earring. Rev. ΜΕΤΑΠ Ear of grain; in field to right, pear. A very rare, perhaps unique, nicely toned and elegant coin with a most unusual head of Nike; and with a pedigree to the collections of Charles Gillet, Robert Jameson and Sir Arthur Evans. Good very fine.

From a European collection, ex Lanz 141, 26 May 2008, 59, from the collection of L. R. Stack, Stack's 14 January 2008, 2025, ex Künker 94, 27 September 2004, 136, Spink Zürich 20, 6 October 1986, 42, Apparuti & Sternberg XIV, 24 May 1984, 34, and from the collections of C. Gillet (166, acquired in the late 1940s), R. Jameson, and Sir A. J. Evans (acquired by Jameson through Spinks c. 1905).

Noe identified this coin, because of its somewhat sketchy engraving, as being a contemporary copy: for example, the grain ear is certainly thinner and less full than the usual Metapontine issues of this period. In any case, the dies are certainly not by the hand of the engraver who was responsible for Noe 488 and 490 (which share obverse dies). Noe cited the Lloyd piece (358) as 489b, suggesting it was from the same dies as this coin; this is an error because 489b is actually the same coin as 488g (once Duruflé).