231, Lot: 92. Estimate $100. Sold for $60. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ARKADIA, Pheneos. Early 1st century BC. Æ Tetrachalkon (18mm, 5.03 g, 12h). Hiereos, son of Hermaxoas, magistrate. Bust of Hermes right, petasos slung behind neck / Mare feeding right; EΠI IEPEOΣ E[PM]A/ΞOOY around. BCD Peloponnesos 1633. Good Fine, green patina. Very rare.

Ex BCD Collection (not in previous BCD sales).

The largest district in the Peloponnese and located at its center, Arkadia was a region of few cities, but many villages for which farming was the dominant activity. Minting began in many of these villages in archaic times, but increased when the Arkadian League was formed during the 5th century BC. Mints in Kleitor, Mantinea, Tegea, and, later on, Megalopolis issued League coinage. Kleitor, an important city in northern Arkadia, was a leading member of the Arkadian League and possessed effective fortifications. Mantinea, another of Arkadia’s important cities, at times found itself at odds with neighboring villages, owing to both territorial disputes and its alliances with Sparta. Experiencing much of the strife from Mantinea’s territorial claims, Tegea also had troubles with Sparta, which attempted to dominate Tegea on multiple occasions. One of the largest cities in the Peloponnese, Megalopolis was formed through a synoecism of surrounding villages. Possibly intended to become the capital of the Arkadian League, it was founded just before the league was dissolved in 363 BC. Coinage for the Arkadian League, however, did not account for all of the production from this area, as many of the cities also struck coinage for the Achaian League. The later Roman administration led to a general cessation of coinage apart from some issues during the Severan period.