Sale: Triton V, Lot: 1531. Estimate $15000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 16 January 2002.  Sold For $18000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PHARAONIC EGYPT. Nektanebo II.. 359-340 BC. AV Daric or Stater (8.21 gm). Horse prancing or rearing right, border of pellets / Pectoral (nebew, "gold"), with six pendant beads hanging from it, crossing horizontally a heart and windpipe (nefer, "good, beautiful"). Svoronos 9 var. (nebew hieroglyph on obverse also); G.K. Jenkins, "Greek coins recently acquired by the British Museum," Numismatic Chronicle 1955, p.145, 24, pl. 13; SNG Copenhagen 1. EF but unevenly struck. Very rare. ($15,000)

Nekht-har-hebi, or Nektanebo II as he was known to the Greeks, was the nephew of Pharaoh Tachos (Djedhor). Placed in command of the Egyptian army in Syria during the Satrapal Revolt, he turned his troops against his own king and took Egypt by force. In 351-350 he repelled a Persian invasion but was driven from his throne in 344-343 by a second assault. He fled Egypt and found refuge in Ethiopia and retained control of Upper Egypt for another few years. Nektanebo must have issued his gold staters for the payment of mercenaries as coinage was not yet in general use among the Egyptians. This stater reflects an Egyptian cultural revival, with the use of hieroglyphs on both the obverse and reverse. On the obverse is a prancing horse, an ancient Egyptian symbol for kingship. On the reverse, there are two hieroglyphs, a heart and a windpipe, nefer, meaning good, and a necklace, nebew, meaning gold. Thus this coin can be read as "the king's good gold."