Sale: Nomos 1, Lot: 67. Estimate CHF5000.  Closing Date: Tuesday, 5 May 2009.  Sold For CHF7000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SIKYONIA, Sikyon. Circa 335-330 BC. Stater (Silver, 12.24 g 8). ΣΕ Chimaera moving to the left on ground line, right paw raised; above to right, wreath Rev. Dove flying to left with wings open above and below; below dove’s neck, Ι; all within olive wreath tied on the right and with branch ends meeting on the left. BCD Peloponnesos 219. BMC 56. Traité 775, pl. CCXX, 12. Lightly toned and most attractive. Extremely fine.

This lovely coin comes from an issue of staters produced at Sikyon after Alexander’s appeal for mercenaries in 334: they seemed to have been paid out as a signing bonus and then buried for safe-keeping. Unfortunately, many of these mercenaries never came back; thus, a number of coins from this issue have been found in excellent condition since they never circulated! The chimaera on this coin is a lot less dangerous looking than the tiny lion on the preceding coin: this animal is walking proudly to the left in an almost heraldic way.