Sale: Nomos 2, Lot: 124. Estimate CHF7500.  Closing Date: Monday, 17 May 2010.  Sold For CHF6000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

DYNASTS of LYCIA. Kherei. Circa 440/30-410 BC. Stater (Silver, 8.51 g 6), Telmessos. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet adorned with tendril and four olive leaves; behind neck, symbol. Rev. kherei telebehe Head of bearded Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress; all within incuse square. Mørkholm & Zahle II 52. SNG Copenhagen Supp. 451 var. = SNG von Aulock 4198 (different obverse symbol). A splendid coin with a very fine head of Herakles. Obverse struck from a slightly worn die as usual, otherwise, good extremely fine.

From the Patrick H. C. Tan Collection, ex Nomos, FPL 1, Winter-Spring 2008, 64.

The head of Athena, which appears on many Lycian issues of this period, was undoubtedly based on the similar heads of the goddess found on the contemporary coins of Athens. After all, the famous ‘Dekadrachm Hoard’ was found in Lycia, and we can be sure that Athenian coins must have been in common use there. The head of Herakles on the reverse is particularly attractive and has a style that is a blend of late archaic and early classical elements - note especially the difference in treatment between his beard and the hair over his forehead.