Le più belle rappresentazioni di guerrieri

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 16	Auction date: 22 May 2021
Lot number: 1111 Price realized: 460 CHF   (Approx. 512 USD / 420 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: DYNASTS OF LYCIA. Mithrapata (?), circa 390-370 BC. Hemiobol (Silver, 10 mm, 0.37 g, 2 h). Murex shell. Rev. Sea monster (ketos) right. BMC -. Müseler VII, 95. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG von Aulock -. Vismara -. Extremely rare. A very unusual piece with lovely images from the animal kingdom on both sides. Minor roughness, otherwise, very fine. From the collection of Dr. P. Vogl, ex Aufhäuser 16, 16 October 2001, 168 (with original ticket). Starting Price: 50 CHF

 

Modificato 20 Luglio, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 82	Auction date: 15 April 2021
Lot number: 378 Price realized: 110 GBP   (Approx. 152 USD / 127 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Tauric Chersonesos, Chersonesos Æ 21mm. Eudromos magistrate, circa 300-290 BC. Artemis Parthenos running to left, holding bow in left hand and spearing fallen stag; [XEP below] / Bull butting to left over club; ΕΥΔΡΟΜΟΥ over bow and quiver in exergue. SNG Stancomb 476; SNG Moskau 3350; SNG BM Black Sea 768; HGC 3.2, 2086. 6.45g, 21mm, 6h. Very Fine. From the collection of GK. Estimate: 50 GBP

[King John]

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG (1991-2007), Auction 81, lot 225, 16/05/2001

The Peloponnesos,  Arkadia, Pheneos.   Estimate: CHF 42'500.00
Stater (Silver, 12.05 g 10), c. 360-350/40. Head of Demeter to right, wearing grain wreath, pearl necklace and elaborate boat-shaped pendant earring. Rev. Hermes, nude but for petasos and chlamys draped over his left arm and shoulder, moving three-quarters to left, holding a kerykeion in his right hand turning his head back to gaze at the infant Arkas whom he holds on his left arm; to right, in small letters, . AMK, pl. 32, 664 (this coin). BMC 13. Kraay/Hirmer 515. LIMC II, sv. Arkas, 6. Schultz 6.1 (this coin). SNG Berry 867. Very rare. Of splendid late classical style, beautifully toned and well struck. Extremely fine.
From the collections of C. Gillet, 1001, F.S. Benson, SWH 3 February 1909, 586, and Sir H. Montagu, SWH 23March 1896, 420. This is a particularly fine example of one of the great rarities of 4th century coinage from Greece. The obverse is yet another version of the Persephone of Euainetos (as also found on contemporary staters issued by the Opuntians, above, 197-198, and by Messene), and shows quite how influential his products were. Pheneos and other Peloponnesian cities produced unexpectedly magnificent coinages in the mid 4th century, when the defeat of Sparta by the Boeotian League at Leuctra in 371 enabled them to throw off Laconian domination. The reverse of this coin shows a statue of Hermes carrying the ancestor of the Arkadians, the infant Arkas, son of Zeus and Kallisto, one of the nymphs accompanying Artemis. When Kallisto, turned into a bear by Hera in a fit of jealousy, was mistakenly shot by Artemis Zeus had Hermes carry off Arkas to be raised by his mother Maia. Arkas first appears in Greek art c. 370 when the Arkadian League was refounded, and the scene here seems to have been inspired by earlier works showing Hermes with the infant Dionysos. In fact, its closest parallel is the famous and nearly contemporary Hermes of Praxiteles found in the Olympia excavations.

ILLUSTRAZIONE: Marble vase decorated in bas-relief of 'Hermes consigning the young Dionysus to the Nymphs of Nissa to nurse and feed him', signed by the sculptor Salpion. The work is in The National Archeological Museum, Naples.

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 17	Auction date: 14 August 2021
Lot number: 49 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: CALABRIA. Tarentum. Circa 440-425 BC. Didrachm or Nomos (Silver, 21 mm, 8.00 g, 6 h). Youthful oikist, nude, riding dolphin to left, hodling akrostolion in his right hand and leaning left on dolphin; below, shrimp to left. Rev. [TAPANTINΩN] Oikist, wearing himation, seated to left, holding dead bird in his right hand and leaning left on stool; behind to right, cat walking left towards the bird. Fischer-Bossert 262 (V123/R196). HN Italy 844. SNG Lloyd 138 (same dies). Beautifully toned and with a charming reverse scene. Flan crack and somewhat double struck, otherwise, very fine. Ex Leu Web Auction 12, 30-31 May 2020, 50 and previously from a Swiss collection, formed in the 1990s and early 2000s. Starting Price: 100 CHF

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 17	Auction date: 14 August 2021
Lot number: 245 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: THRACE. Apollonia Pontika. 2nd century BC. AE (Bronze, 24 mm, 8.22 g, 12 h). Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. AΠΟΛΛΩN[OΣ] / IATPOY Apollo standing front, head to left, holding laurel tree with his right hand and bow and two arrows in his left; on the tree, small bird seated right. HGC 3, -, cf. 1338 (differing legends and with a magistrate name). Leu Numismatik 15 (2021), 103. Löbbecke, ZfN 15 (1887), 38. Very rare. Light deposits and with some minor weakness on the reverse, otherwise, very fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. An interesting minor detail about this coin is the small bird that is sitting on the laurel tree, likely Apollo's raven. The legend, on the other hand, translates as 'Apollo the physician' and relates to the god's role as an ancient healing deity, which he passed on to his son Asklepios through Cheiron, the Centaur. Starting Price: 75 CHF

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 17	Auction date: 14 August 2021
Lot number: 3318 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Anonymous, 12th-14th century. Medallion (Bronze, 24 mm, 10.51 g, 12 h). The Mother of God "Hodegetria", nimbate, wearing chiton and maphorion, pointing with her right hand towards Infant Christ seated on her left arm. Rev. On the left, Saint Theodore, nimbate, standing facing, holding a spear in his right hand, and resting his left hand on shield; on the right, Saint George, nimbate, standing facing, holding spear in his right hand and resting left hand on sword. Beautifully engraved and very attractive. Somewhat smoothed, otherwise, extremely fine. Starting Price: 100 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: Madonna delle Partorienti dalle Grotte Vaticane. L’opera, attribuita al pittore Antoniazzo Romano e datata all’ultimo decennio del XV sec., costituisce la pala d’altare dell’omonima cappella nelle Sacre Grotte Vaticane, parte integrante dello spazio sacro della Basilica di San Pietro

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 22	Auction date: 22 June 2021
Lot number: 321 Price realized: 1,100 CHF   (Approx. 1,195 USD / 1,004 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Caracalla, 198-217. Diassarion (Bronze, 24 mm, 9.04 g, 7 h), Isaura in Cilicia, circa 205-208. AY K M AY ANTΩNЄINOC Laureate and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right, with sideburns but no beard, drapery over his far shoulder and aegis on his cuirass. Rev. MHTPOΠOΛЄΩC ICAYPΩN Tetrastyle temple with arched pediment, and, within the center intercolumniation, low column topped with a bust of Herakles to right. SNG France 496 (same obverse die) and 498 (same reverse die). A splendid coin with a dark black/green patina and an elegant portrait of the young Caracalla. The obverse slightly double-struck, otherwise, good extremely fine. From a Swiss collection, ex Nomos 18, 5 May 2019, 317. The relatively minor mint of Isaura was the capital of a district of Cilician Trachea of the same name. This area was known, since the time of Alexander, for its unpleasant, aggressive and fractious population; the Isaurians were definitely not good neighbors! They supported the famous pirates of Cilicia and, in 75 BC they were severely defeated by the proconsul Publius Servilius Vatia (who, in 74, was given the agnomen Isauricus in recognition of his feat; somewhat amazingly, he kept none of the booty for himself, an action considered remarkable by his contempo­raries). In fact, they continued being menaces to one and all throughout the Roman period; in 404 they launched a major series of raids, which were defeated by an expedition sent by Arcadius under the comes rei militaris Arbazacius, who himself was either an Isaurian of Armenian descent, or an Armenian of Isaurian descent. In any event, after accumulating a great deal of booty Arbazacius settled down to a life devoted to wine, women and money (he escaped prosecution because he bribed the empress Aelia Eudoxia). His greed was so well-known that the wits of Constantinople mockingly changed his name to Harpazacius = Grabber! Estimate: 400 CHF

[King John]

Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions > E-Auction 101	Auction date: 17 July 2021
Lot number: 420 Price realized: 150 GBP   (Approx. 207 USD / 175 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Sicily, Morgantina. The Hispani, late 2nd - early 1st century BC. Æ Unit (21mm, 5.26g, 12h). Male head r. R/ Warrior, holding spear, on horse advancing r. Campana 18; CNS III, 1; SNG ANS 484-93; HGC 2, 915. Good Fine - near VF Starting Price: 10 GBP ILLUSTRAZIONE: Oinochoe corinzia, 590-580 ac ca. raffigurante un oplita a cavallo

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 125	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 285 Price realized: 360,000 CHF   (Approx. 392,670 USD / 328,665 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Syracuse. Tetradrachm, unsigned but attributed to Eukleidas circa 413-399, AR 17.29 g. Fast quadriga driven l. by charioteer, holding kentron and reins; in field above, Nike flying r. to crown the driver. Beneath horses' hooves, wheel and in exergue, ear of barley. Rev. ΣYPAKOΣIΩ – [N] Head of the nymph Arethusa r., wearing double-hook earring and necklace with six pearl-shaped pendants; hair bound by ampyx in front and sphendone ornamented with stars; in l. field, small, K. Around, two pairs of dolphins swimming downwards. Rizzo pl. XLVII, 12 (these dies). Gulbenkian 287 (these dies). AMB 470 (this coin). Tudeer 68A. Coins, Artists and Tyrants 68Aa (this coin). Very rare and possibly the finest specimen known of this magnificent issue, undoubtedly one of the finest of the entire Syracusan series. A portrait of Arethusa of enchanting beauty in superb Classical style perfeclty struck and centred on a broad flan and with a delightful old cabinet tone. Good extremely fine Ex NAC sale 13, 1998, formerly exhibited at the Antikenmuseum Basel, 470. Privately purchased from Leo Mildenberg at Bank Leu in December 1955. From the Athos and Dina Moretti collection. This tetradrachm is a tour de force from the greatest age of creativity at the Syracuse mint. Though the portrait on the reverse is a sublime masterpiece, it is the obverse that demands our attention, for it is perhaps the most daring and inventive of all chariot scenes produced at Syracuse. Only about a decade before these dies were cut, the chariot scene on Syracusan tetradrachms had evolved from a somber, canonical depiction inspired by an Attic vase painting into an explosive scene in which the horses were shown in high action. With this innovation it was shown at a slight angle so the artist could dwell on the physiognomies of the horses and could show the chariot with a new perspective. The style of the chariot scene in the century prior to these innovations was formulaic: though the position of the Nike varied, the chariot was shown in profile, with only the slight overlapping of the horses and the separation of their heads to indicate that more than one was present. Very few dies from that initial century diverged even slightly from the standard formula (see Boehringer dies V45, V107, V286, V291, V326), with the work of a single artist in about 440 B.C. (Boehringer dies Boeh. V295 and V296) being noteworthy, if not especially accomplished. Once we enter this dynamic period of about 415 to 385 B.C. some extraordinarily talented artists energized Syracusan coins with a level of innovation that had never before been seen. Not surprisingly, several of these artists signed their dies and produced works that were influential far beyond the shores of Sicily. Leading the way was Euainetos, who seems to have been the first to express complete freedom in the way he depicted the chariot at an angle, as if it was turning the bend (Tudeer die 10). This particular die, Tudeer die 25, takes Euainetos' inventiveness to a new level by adding unexpected elements to the scene. Here we have a snapshot of a calamity: one of the reins has been pulled from the driver's hand and the horses trample upon a wheel that has broken away from a competing chariot. The fact that our charioteer is being crowned by Nike is all the confirmation we need that he and his team emerged victorious at the expense of a competitor whose chariot had overturned in close proximity Estimate: 150000 CHF

[King John]

 

[King John]

 

Heritage World Coin Auctions > ANA Signature Sale 3094, Auction date: 19 August 2021,Lot number: 33002

Ancients
SICILY. Syracuse. Time of Dionysius I (405-370 BC). AR decadrachm (35mm, 43.06 gm, 3h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style. Reverse die signed by Euainetos, ca. 400 BC. Racing quadriga driven left by charioteer, reins in left hand, kentron in right; Nike flying right in field above to crown him, military arms, including aspis (shield), greaves, cuirass, and crested Attic helmet, all joined by horizontal spear, ΑΘΛΑ ("prizes") below all in exergue, dotted border / Head of Arethusa left, hair wreathed in barley ears, wearing triple pendant earring and beaded necklace; four dolphins swimming around, shell turned downward with eight scallops behind head, die-engraver's signature EY-AINE below bottom dolphin, dotted border. Gallatin (R XIX / G I). SNG ANS 366. A stunning example, with lustrous surfaces and magnificent toning.
From the WTR Collection
Widely considered to be the most beautiful coins ever struck, the immense silver decadrachms of Syracuse from the later fifth century BC represent the full flowering of classical Greek sculptural art. Syracuse, the foremost Greek city in Sicily, had produced coins of exceptional beauty for nearly a century when, ca. 415 BC, engravers began signing their coin dies. Chief among these were the master engravers Kimon and Euainetos, whose large silver decadrachms seemed to capture the spirit of the artistic and intellectual revolution then sweeping the Greek world. The obverse of these pieces depicts a four-horse racing chariot, or quadriga, in full career to left while Nike, goddess of Victory, flies above to crown the driver with a laurel wreath. Below this scene is a set of Greek armor offered as a prize to the victorious charioteer. The reverse depicts a beautiful head of Arethusa, nymph of a sacred spring, with dolphins frolicking around her. The decadrachm of Euainetos became a widely-copied archetype for Greek coinage, and the master engraver's head of Arethusa remains a paradigm of cool, classical beauty today.

Estimate: 80000-120000 USD

[King John]

Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > August 2021 ANA Auction	Auction date: 16 August 2021
Lot number: 42014
Lot description: CELTIC BRITAIN. Trinovantes & Catuvellauni. Tasciovanus. ca. 20 B.C.- A.D. 10. AV Stater (5.30 gms), Verulamium Mint. NGC Ch EF★, Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5. Light Marks. Van Arsdell-1734-1; ABC-2568; S-218. VER type. Obverse: Crossed vertical and curved wreaths with opposed crescents at center; annulets and sprays forming hidden faces in quarters; V E R arranged around the crescents; Reverse: Warrior, holding carnyx, on horse right; wheel above; T A S C around. An EXTREMELY RARE type, this alluring specimen garners a star designation for exceptional eye appeal despite the noted scuffs that are observed on the reverse. Rose gold in color, it certainly dazzles and presents a great strike. From the Collection of a Gentleman. Ex: Coin Galleries (7/2000) Lot # 272. Estimate: $1000 - $2000

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 17	Auction date: 14 August 2021
Lot number: 2374 Price realized: 3,000 CHF   (Approx. 3,249 USD / 2,769 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Domitian, 81-96. Cistophorus (Silver, 25 mm, 10.77 g, 6 h), uncertain mint in Asia Minor (or Rome for circulation in Asia?), circa 82. IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG Laureate head of Domitian to right. Rev. CA-PIT / RESTIT Tetrastyle Capitoline Temple, on podium of four steps; in center, Jupiter seated facing, holding scepter in his left hand; to left and right, Juno and Minerva standing facing, each holding scepter in her left hand; in pediment, anguipede monster; on roof, facing quadriga in center and bigae on corners. BMC -. Cohen -. RIC 842. RPC II 867. A beautiful coin with a very attractive architectural reverse. Minor roughness and with light scratches, otherwise, very fine. Starting Price: 250 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: RICOSTRUZIONE DEL TEMPIO DI GIOVE CAPITOLINO

[King John]

Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger > Auction 368	Auction date: 23 September 2021
Lot number: 3020
Lot description: GRIECHISCHE MÜNZEN, ITALIEN, LUKANIEN, METAPONT. Stater. Um 330 v. Chr. AMI Kopf des Leukippos mit korinthischem Helm r. Rs: [META]; Ähre, r. Blatt, darüber Blitz. Johnston, Metapont III, B4.3. SNG COP. 1214. 7.76g, Schöne Tönung. Minimaler Schrötlingsriß. vz-St Ex Roma II, 2011, Los Nr. 22. Die Ähre war das Hauptmotiv der Münzprägung von Metapont und deutet auf die Fruchtbarkeit der Landschaft zwischen den Flüssen Bradanos und Kasuentos hin. Dies trug zum Wohlstand der Stadt bei, der sich nach Strabo auch in der Weihung einer "goldenen Ernte" in Delphi zeigte, wohl in Form von Ähren. Estimate: 5000 EUR

 

Modificato 22 Agosto, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XXII	Auction date: 7 October 2021
Lot number: 416
Lot description: Persia, Alexandrine Empire AV Double Daric. Babylon, Susa or Ekbatana, circa 325-295 BC. Persian Great King or hero, wearing kidaris and kandys, in kneeling-running stance to right, holding spear in right hand and bow in left; behind, horse's head to right over IAP monogram / Shallow incuse punch enclosing two opposed crescents and drop-like patterns. Unpublished in the standard references. For the general type cf. Nicolet-Pierre, Deuxiéme groupe, 6-13; Price, Alexander, pl. 159, A; Carradice, p. 95, 53-4; Mitchiner Type 15f-i = BMC Alexandrine Empire pp. 177-9, 1-13; H. Howorth NC 1904, pl. 3, 8-13; Babelon, Perses, pl. 2, 27; Traité II 762 (all with different monograms and symbols). 16.55g, 18mm. Extremely Fine. Unique and unpublished; a significant new addition to the Double Daric series. From the Oxus Collection (Denmark). With the arrival of Alexander in Mespotamia and Persia there appeared a fascinating array of new local coin types, including a series of double darics. The above example bears a monogram that may be broken down as IAP, probably the abbreviation of the name of a mint official, which is also present on the coinage in the name of Alexander at Susa (Price 3835, 3837-8) dated to 325-320 BC and Ekbatana (Price 3886) dated to 311-295 BC. The horse head symbol, albeit with horns, is also present at both mints with similar dates (cf. Price 3863-4, 3867-70 and 3914-6). This form of monogram is not found at any other mint of the late 3rd or early 2nd centuries BC in the 'Persian' area. On the 30 September or 1 October 331 BC, Darius III, the last Achaemenid king of the Persian Empire, finding himself outmanoeuvred by the Macedonian forces of Alexander III at the Battle of Gaugamela fled to Ekbatana in Media where he had amassed a treasure amounting to 180,000 talents (1,080 million drachmai) from the treasuries of Susa, Persepolis and Pasargadai. Alexander, rather than pursue him through the mountains proceeded down the Tigris and peacefully entered Babylon where 1000 talents had been left in its treasury (Diodorus 17.64.5-6, although Arrian 3.16.6-11 states this happened at Susa). As a reward for his recognition of Alexander as the legitimate successor to Darius, Mazaeus, the former satrap of Cilicia, was rewarded with the satrapy of Babylonia and stamped his name upon the first silver satrap/lion series of the silver staters (cf. Nicolet-Pierre M1-7). The second group (Nicolet-Pierre 1-19) are dated to after the death of Mazaeus in 328 and do indeed share similar symbols and monograms with the imperial issues in the names of Alexander and Philip (cf. Price 3578-93) and double darics traditionally attributed to the mint of Babylon. However, the mint may actually have been at Susa, a new capital and treasury of the Achaemenid Empire since the time of Cyrus. For an assessment of the attribution of the mint of Babylon or Susa see Price, Alexander pp. 453-7, a reasonable explanation for the mint name 'Babylon' in quotation marks. After a month's repose in Nebuchadnezzar's palace in Babylon, Alexander entered Susa unopposed, forced the Susian Gates, reached and sacked Persepolis, and finally took Ekbatana in June 330 BC, completing his occupation of the Persian homeland and acquiring its massive wealth. Much of this bullion was converted into coinage to pay the Macedonian troops. It was at Susa that in 324 Alexander oversaw the mass wedding between Persians and Macedonians. By the time of Alexander's death in 323 the region was once again a great centre of culture, trade and commerce under the newly appointed satrap Seleukos, the later Seleukos I Nikator. He ruled until 316 when he was temporarily replaced by Antigonos Monophthalmos until 312/11 when Seleukos returned, appointed himself king in 305 and expanded his small satrapy into a multi-ethnical empire from Baktra in the east to Asia Minor in the west. It is in this historical context that the above remarkable issue should be understood. Estimate: 30000 GBP

ILLUSTRAZIONE: Relief of Persian soldier, Xerxes's Palace (Hadish) Persepolis, Iran

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XXII	Auction date: 7 October 2021
Lot number: 142
Calabria, Tarentum AR Nomos. Circa 340-325 BC. Phi-, D-, Iph-, magistrates. Nude, helmeted warrior on horseback to right, holding spear, cloak flowing out behind; ΦI in left field, small Pegasos between horse's legs / Taras astride dolphin to left, holding kantharos, being crowned by Nike; Δ below star in left field, IΦ below, TAPAΣ downwards to right, waves below. Fischer-Bossert 724 (V271/ R566); Vlasto - cf. 520 (without Pegasos on obv.) ; SNG ANS -; HN Italy -. 7.84g, 21mm, 12h. Extremely Fine; lustrous. Extremely Rare; not listed in Vlasto. From a private German collection, formed c.1980-2020. Estimate: 750 GBP

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 124	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 147 Price realized: 20,000 CHF   (Approx. 21,727 USD / 18,260 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Phocis, Delphi. Trihemiobol circa 360, AR 1.32 g. Ram's head l., beneath, dolphin l. Rev. ΔEΛ Goat's head facing between two dolphins swimming upwards and two ivy leaves downwards. All within incuse circle. De Nanteuil 883 (this coin). SNG France 1291. Weber 3193 (this obverse die). Svoronos, Delphi 28, 31. Traité III, 414 and pl. CCV, 37 (these dies). BCD Lokris-Phokis 386. In exceptional condition for the issue and possibly the finest specimen known. Struck on an exceptionally large flan and complete. Superb old cabinet tone and extremely fine Ex Florange-Ciani 1925, Allotte, 883; Hess-Leu 36, 1968, 191; Leu 52, 1991, Distinguished American, 59 and NGSA 6, 2010, 61 sales. From the de Nanteuil collection. The types of this coin reflect the dual nature of the oracular sanctuary at Delphi. Although it was most famously a center devoted to Apollo and his riddling Pythia, it was also shared by the god's brother, Dionysus, who was said to maintain the temple over the winter while Apollo was away to the north visiting the mysterious Hyperboreans. The ram's head of the obverse represents the animal sacrifice appropriate to Apollo while the goat's head on reverse is the preferred animal offering for Dionysus. In order to underline the Dionysiac quality of the animal, two ivy leaves-a well-known symbol of the god-also appear alongside the goat's head on the reverse. The prominent use of dolphins as supplementary symbols stems from the fact that they are a punning badge for the city ("dolphin" in Greek is delphis). Local Delphian tradition also held that after choosing the site of his oracular shrine at Delphi, Apollo discovered that he had no priests to serve him. In order to solve this problem, the god leaped into the Aegean Sea and turned into a dolphin. In this new aquatic form Apollo gained the attention of a group of Cretan sailors who followed him to Delphi and became the first priests of Apollo Delphinios at Delphi. Estimate: 10000 CHF

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XXII	Auction date: 7 October 2021
Lot number: 139 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Apulia, Venusia Æ Uncia. Circa 210-200 BC. Half length bust of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress and holding club over shoulder; pellet before / Lion seated to left, breaking spear held in its jaw; VE monogram to left. SNG ANS 757; BMC Italy p. 151, 14; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG Munich 549; SNG Morcom 234; Laffaille, Choix de Monnaies Grecques en Bronze, pl. 5 = Weber 482; HN Italy 716. 5.92g, 19mm, 6h. Good Very Fine; some smoothing and tooling. Very Rare, and in outstanding condition for the type. Ex Martinez Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XVI, 26 September 2018, lot 110 (hammered for £2800). Estimate: 1500 GBP

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XXII	Auction date: 7 October 2021
Lot number: 370 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Pamphylia, Side AR Stater. Circa 400-380 BC. Athena standing to left, holding owl upon her outstretched right hand and resting shield against her left; pomegranate before, grounded spear behind / Apollo standing to left, nude but for chlamys over shoulders, holding laurel branch over altar in right hand and bow in left; raven and ethnic in Sidetic behind; all within incuse square. Atlan, Group V, 72. SNG BnF 637-8 var. (ethnic). 10.70g, 26mm, 11h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the inventory of a UK dealer. Estimate: 1000 GBP

[King John]

Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung > Auction 280	Auction date: 11 October 2021
Lot number: 80 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: SIZILIEN. MAMERTINOI. AE Pentonkion ø 27mm (13,32g). ca. 270 - 220 v. Chr. Vs.: Kopf des Apoll mit Lorbeerkranz n. l., r. im Feld Lyra. Rs.: ΜΑΜΕΡΤΙΝΩΝ, stehender, nackter Mars mit Speer, Schild und Schwert. r. im Feld Π. CNS I S.103f. Em. 26; HGC 850. Schöne dunkelgrüne Patina, ss Ex Gorny & Mosch, München Auktion 212, 2013, Los 1141. Estimate: 150 EUR

[King John]

Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung > Online Auction 282	Auction date: 14 October 2021
Lot number: 3442 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: THRAKIEN. PAUTALIA. Elagabal, 218 - 222 n. Chr. AE Großbronze ø 28mm (14,71g). Vs.: ΑΥΤ Κ Μ ΑΥΡΗ - ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟΣ, Kopf mit Lorbeerkranz n. r. Rs.: ΟΥΛΠΙΑΣ - ΠΑΥΤΑΛΙΑΣ, Ares in Rüstung und mit Helm n. l. gewandt stehend, mit der R. am Boden stehenden Rundschild haltend, mit der L. sich auf umgedrehten Speer stützend. Ruzicka, Pautalia ­ ; Varbanov II ­ . R! Braune Patina, gutes Porträt, fast vz Aus süddeutschem Privatbesitz, Sammlung E.L. Estimate: 50 EUR

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 124	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 255 Price realized: 60,000 CHF   (Approx. 65,182 USD / 54,779 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Cyrenaica, Cyrene. Didrachm circa 250, Koinon issue, AR 7.82 g. Diademed head of Zeus Ammon r. Rev. Silphium plant, ibex horn to upper l.; KOI-NON across fields. BMC p. 68, 1, pl. xxvii 13-15. SNG Copenhagen 1275. Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. A portrait of enchanting beauty, work of a very talented master engraver. Perfectly struck on fresh metal and with a wonderful light iridescent tone. Good extremely fine Ex Tkalec 23 October 1992, 192; Millon & Associés, 8 June 2007, 54 and Manhattan II, 2011, 78 sales. From the Peter Guber collection. The Cyrenaica was famous in the Greek and Roman world for its possession of the oracular shrine of Zeus Ammon and its cultivation of the silphium plant. The former was a temple located at the desert oasis of Siwah that was originally dedicated a native Libyan deity who became syncretized with both the Egyptian fertility god Amun and Greek Zeus. The oracle was already well known in the Greek world in the fifth century BC, when it was mentioned by Herodotos, but became supremely famous after it was visited by Alexander the Great and confirmed his divinity. Zeus Ammon is easily distinguished from other forms of Zeus by his ram's horns-a feature borrowed from the iconography of Egyptian Amun. Here is depicted in a vibrant Hellenistic style reflecting the influence of neighbouring Ptolemaic Egypt. Silphium is thought to have been an extinct variety of giant fennel and was used in antiquity for seasoning and medicine. It grew only on a narrow coastal strip of the Cyrenaica and was used as a cure for a variety of ailments including cough, sore throat, fever, indigestion, general aches and pains, and even insanity. However, it has been suggested that the plant may have been most desired for its use as a contraceptive. Overharvesting and excessive demand led to the extinction of the plant in the first century AD-the last stalk of silphium is said to have been sent to Nero (AD 54-68). This coin is also notable for the fact that it was not struck in the name of Cyrene, but rather in that of the koinon or league established in the Cyrenaica by the philosophers Demophon and Ekdemos in c. 250 BC. These two intellectuals from Megalopolis had the opportunity to experiment with the constitutional organization of the Cyrenaica in this year thanks to the death of Magas, who had ruled Cyrene as king since 276 BC, and the bloody end to the short marriage of Magas' daughter Berenike to Demetrios the Fair. Th koinon of Demophon and Ekdemos survived for some four years, until 246 BC, when Ptolemy III Euergetes asserted his long-claimed right to marry Berenike and annex the Cyrenaica to Egypt. Estimate: 25000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: ALCUNE IMMAGINI DEL SILFIO, LA PIANTA RAFFIGURATA AL ROVESCIO DELLA MONETA DI QUESTO POST. PER SAPERNE DI PIU': https://www.ilgiornaledelcibo.it/silfio/

Modificato 7 Settembre, 2021 da King John

[King John]

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Limited, Auction 20, lot 229, 29/10/2020

Mysia, Pergamon AV Stater. Mid-late 330s BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / Archaistic Palladion: statue of Pallas Athena standing facing, holding spear aloft in right hand, preparing to strike, on left arm, a shield adorned with a four-point star and fillet hanging below; to lower left, a crested Corinthian helmet right; all within concave circular incuse. Callataÿ, Statères 2o (D2/R3 - this coin); Von Fritze, Pergamon 7 = Saida 36 var. (rev. not incuse); SNG France 1557 = De Luynes 2493 = Saida 37; Gulbenkian 699 var. (same) = Jameson 2580 var. (same); PCG pl. 28, 25 var. (same). 17mm, 8.62g, 1h.
Fleur De Coin; beautiful, lustrous metal displaying full mint bloom. Very Rare; among the finest known examples.
This coin published in F. de Callataÿ, Les statères de Pergame et les réquisitions d'Alexandre le Grand: l'apport d'un nouveau trésor (RN 169, 2012);
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Ex SF Collection (USA), Nomos AG, Auction 3, 10 May 2011, lot 112 (hammer: CHF 130,000);
Privately purchased from Harlan J. Berk Ltd. in 2007.

ILLUSTRAZIONE: CASSANDRA ABBRACCIA LA STATUA DI PALLADE ATENA, SCULTURA IN TERRACOTTA DEL 400-325 A.C. DA TANAGRA CONSERVATA AL BASQUES-MOLLARD SIMONE, PARIGI

Il rito delle fanciulle in Daunia descritto da Licofrone deve essere considerato in relazione a Cassandra quale modello mitico del “gamos mancato”. Nella struttura narrativa di Licofrone, che potremmo definire circolare, il rito delle fanciulle in Daunia e il rito delle fanciulle locresi, destinati a tramandare la memoria di Cassandra, richiamano in modo preciso i due motivi che Cassandra stessa pone all’origine delle sue sventure, il rifiuto delle nozze con Apollo e la violenza subita da parte di Aiace. In entrambi i casi le fanciulle abbracciano una statua, quella di Atena nel caso delle fanciulle locresi a memoria della vicenda di Aiace, quella di Cassandra nel caso delle fanciulle daunie a memoria dei pericoli del “gamos mancato”. In una duplice ma complementare prospettiva, i riti mettono in scena ciò che deve essere evitato per fare in modo che la transizione di status delle giovani donne avvenga nel giusto modo.

Modificato 9 Settembre, 2021 da King John