Sale: Nomos 9, Lot: 42. Estimate CHF1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 20 October 2014.  Bidding Closed.

SICILY, Akragas. Punic occupation, 213-211 BC. Litra or Eighth Shekel (Silver, 13mm, 0.82 g 4). Laureate head of Zeus to right, within border of dots. Rev. ΑΚΡΑ / ΓΑΝ Thunderbolt; all within a reed border. Head, HN, p. 124 (cited from Salinas). SNG Copenhagen 109. Extremely rare, apparently known from only a very small number of examples. Nicely centered and uncleaned as found. Nearly extremely fine.

From the collection of a European specialist.

This coin comes from a series of coins struck at Akragas when the city was controlled by Carthage during the Second Punic War (218-201 BC). This series included large numbers of drachms and a smaller number of hemidrachms (both having a head of Zeus on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse); but the litrai are actually extremely rare: perhaps they were immediately superseded by token bronze in order to save silver?