Coinage of Lipara

CNG 84, Lot: 129. Estimate $1000. Sold for $700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ISLANDS off SICILY, Lipara. Circa 425 BC. Æ Tetras (29mm, 25.60 g). Head of Aiolos right, wearing pileos / Three pellets (mark of value); ΛΙΠΑΡΙΟΝ around. Manganaro, Vittoria 51-100; CNS 5; SNG Copenhagen 1086. VF, dark green patina, edge split, a couple areas of roughness. Rare.

From the J. Olphin Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group XXIX (30 March 1994), lot 45.

Aiolos was the god of the winds in Greek mythology. He was associated with the group of islands between Sicily and Italy, which were appropriately named the Aiolian Islands, of which Lipara was the largest and most important. In fact, Aiolos himself supposedly resided on the island of Lipara, hence his representation of their coins.