Rapid Die Deterioration

Sale: CNG 79, Lot: 348. Estimate $2000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 17 September 2008.  Sold For $1780. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

IONIA, Teos. Circa 510-500 BC. AR Staters. All coins: Griffin seated right, raising forepaw / Quadripartite incuse square. Balcer group I (unlisted dies). VF, a few die breaks. Three (3) coins in lot, all struck from the same dies (both unrecorded by Balcer), but at different states of die deterioration.

Judging from these examples, it appears that the deterioration of this obverse die began almost immediately, and progressed rapidly. The resulting limited output would explain why there were no examples of it for Balcer to record. A survey of other examples suggests that this rapid deterioration was not an uncommon phenomenon in the early period of minting at Teos. It is possible that these early dies were made from metal that was not suitable for the purpose of striking coins. By the early Classical period, though, this problem appears to have been rectified. A numismatically interesting offering.