Rare Cretan War Issue

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 271. Estimate $2500.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $1500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ISLANDS off CARIA, Rhodos. Rhodes. Circa 205-200 BC. AR Didrachm (4.70 g, 12h). Cretan War issue. Military mint on Crete; magistrate, Gorgos. Winged head of Medusa facing slightly right; c/m: bust of Nike right within incuse circle / [R]-O, rose with bud to right; GORGOS above, star to left. Ashton 333 (same dies as illustration); Ashton, Crete 1 (same dies as illustration); SNG Keckman -; SNG Copenhagen 864 (same dies). Good VF, lightly toned, a hint of porosity. Exceptional for type. Rare.

Ex Erich Karl Collection (Lanz 131, 27 November 2006), lot 808; Schweizerischer Bankverein 25 (19 September 1990), lot 193.

Ashton argues that this issue was likely struck by Rhodian commanders during the Cretan war (see Ashton, Clubs, pp. 77-78).