Exceptional Early Classical Dikaia – Second Known with Profile Eye

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 88. Estimate $20000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $24000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Dikaia. Circa 480-450 BC. AR Didrachm (7.29 g, 5h). Bearded head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / D-I-K, head of bull left within incuse square. Schönert-Geiss, Bisanthe 22 var. (V2/R- [unlisted rev. die]); cf. May, Dikaia 28-32; Traité II 1769-71; SNG Copenhagen 551; Jameson 1055; Weber 2358. EF, lightly toned. Very rare, the second example from this obverse die of refined elegance, and among the finest known Dikaia didrachms.

The other example from this obverse die is in the Löbbecke Collection in Berlin. Schönert-Geiss placed that coin near the beginning of her listings of these double-relief didrachms, but it is not die linked to any of the other specimens and stylistically should be placed later. Unlike the other known dies, which have a frontal eye, this obverse die features a profile eye, suggesting it belongs near the end of this series. Overall, the dies used for this coin are arguably among the most refined, and have a style more reflective of the emerging Classical artwork of the mid 5th century.