Rare Illyrian Litra

Sale: CNG 76, Lot: 338. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 12 September 2007.  Sold For $1900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ILLYRIA, Herakleia. Circa 350-320 BC. Æ Litra (17.28 g, 3h). Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / Bow and club. Visonà, Greek-Illyrian H 3; SNG Copenhagen 536. VF, dark green-brown patina. Very rare.

From the Christopher Morcom Collection. Ex L. Vierordt Collection (not in sale catalogs).

As noted by Visonà, the location of Herakleia is unknown. Older texts place the city either on the mainland (BMC) or on an island of the same name (SNG Copenhagen). Recent sale catalogs have even listed the city on the isle of Pharos. The Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World does not even list a city of this name anywhere near Illyria or Dalmatia. See also B. Mimica, “Coins of Greek Colonies and Ancient Illyricum on the East Adriatic Coast,” Numizmaticke vijesti 56 (2003).