The Virzi Hieron II Chalkous

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 73. Estimate $3000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $4000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Syracuse. Hieron II. 275-215 BC. Æ Chalkous (33.59 g, 9h). Struck circa 217-215 BC. Diademed head left / IERWNOS, Nike, holding reins in both hands, driving galloping biga right; N below. Carroccio, basileus, type 74; cf. CCO pl. XLIII, 9 var. (S below); CNS 196 R1 4; SNG Morcom 816; SNG ANS 908 var. (A below); SNG Lloyd 1553; Laffaille 89; Virzi 1841 (this coin). Good VF, brown surfaces, slight roughness.

Ex Tom Virzi Collection (his ticket included).

In 265 BC, Hieron II routed the Mamertines at the river Longanus, west of Messana. This rare issue of about 36 grams may commemorate this victory and, if comparison is made with Mamertine bronze coins, is the equivalent of an octuple bronze piece (cf. SNG ANS Mamertini 401 [double of about 9 grams] and 402-409 [quadruples of about 18 grams]).