Exceptional Onkia

Sale: Triton XIII, Lot: 67. Estimate $5000.  Closing Date: Monday, 4 January 2010.  Sold For $4750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. 344-317 BC. Æ Onkia (3.69 g, 1h). Timoleontic Symmachy coinage. 1st series, circa 344-339/8 BC. Head of Zeus Eleutherios left, wearing laurel wreath; ZEYΣ EΛ-E-YΘE[PI]O around / Octopus; Σ-V-PA-KO-ΣI-Ω-N around. Castrizio Series I, 3; CNS 75; SNG Morcom 727; SNG ANS -; SNG Lloyd 1461; Weber 1657; Virzi 1557-9 (all from the same dies). Superb EF, magnificent deep green patina, a slight double strike at lower edge on reverse. The finest known example of this extremely rare issue.

Ex LHS 100 (23 April 2007), lot 189.

By the early 4th century BC, Syracuse had become highly factionalized, and the political turmoil was taken advantage of by the Carthaginians, who supported Hiketas against their enemy, Dionysios I. Eventually a delegation was sent by the Syracusans to Corinth to appeal to their mother city for help. Timoleon was chosen to take control of Syracuse, drive the Carthaginian-backed government from power, and restore the tranquility and prosperity of the great Sicilian city. In this endeavor Timoleon was successful, and his rule sparked a cultural and political revival. This revival is reflected in the city's coinage, with the advent of many new types and denominations.

Among the new issues was a multi-denominational series featuring the head of Zeus Eleutherios (the Liberator), whose prominence in the series clearly underscored the achievements of Timoleon. The dies of this series are remarkable for the exceptional quality of the engraving.