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Research Coins: Affiliated Auction

 
Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 6. Estimate CHF25000. 
Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011. 
Sold For CHF22000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, Metapontion. Distater (Silver, 15.76 g 1), c. 340-330 BC. Bearded head of Leukippos to right, wearing a Corinthian helmet ornamented with Nike driving a quadriga to right on the bowl and a hippocamp swimming right at the join between the front visor and the back flap. Behind, ΑΠΗ and forepart of a lion to right. Rev. ΜΕΤΑΠΟΝΤΙΝΩΝ Grain ear with leaf to left; above leaf, club; below leaf, ΑΜΙ. HN III 1574. Johnston B1.1. Kraay & Hirmer 242. SNG ANS 431. Very attractively toned and unusually well struck on a broad flan. Very rare. Nearly extremely fine.


Ex Monnaies et Médailles 75, 4 December 1989, 83.

The mythological hero Leukippos (his name means owner of a white horse, i.e., a wealthy man) was particularly popular in Metapontum, appearing on the obverse of many of the city’s nomoi, or staters, starting c. 350 BC. This helmeted and bearded head also served as a prototype for Rome’s early didrachms with a similar head of Mars. Unlike Thurium, which struck a rather extensive series of distaters or dinomoi, Metapontum only produced a single issue, which is now very rare and of which this is an exceptionally fine example. It is, in fact, struck from the stylistically best die pair of all those used.