177, Lot: 3. Estimate $300. Sold for $363. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, Metapontion. Circa 330-290 BC. AR Nomos (18mm, 7.78 g). Lu-, magistrate(?). Wreathed head of Demeter left, wearing triple-pendant earring and necklace / Barley ear of seven grains, leaf to left; above leaf, Artemis-Hekate carrying long torch. Cf. Johnston Class C, 7.7-7.9 (same obv. die; rev. die not recorded); HN Italy 1590. VF, a few scratches.

Ex Gorny and Mosch 97 (11 October 1999), lot 1380 (part of).

The magistrate Lu... is identified by the Greek letters LU found beneath leaf on which stands Artemis-Hekate. However, on this coin the letters are not present. Although it is impossible to rule out, it does not appear that the letters were erased from the die. There may be one further example struck from a different reverse die which is also missing the letters, Naville XII (18 October 1926), lot 434, but this is not certain as the coin was struck on a smallish flan and that particular area of the coin is not entirely present.