CNG 85, Lot: 465. Estimate $200. Sold for $310. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CILICIA, Mallos(?). Circa 440-390 BC. AR Obol (9mm, 1.15 g). Astragalos; stars flanking; border of pellets / Owl standing facing with spread wings; border of pellets. Gorny & Mosch 186, 1443. VF, toned, porous.

This coin appears to be from a series of fractions with this obverse and reverse type that is composed of two issues. The first, presumably earlier, issue has these types with no subsidiary symbols or borders, and the reverse is within a shallow circular incuse (cf. CNG 73, 421). The second issue has both types within a circular pellet border, and the reverse is no longer in an incuse. This issue has two varieties of subsidiary symbols appearing on the obverse, either a club (cf. CNG 64, 304) or two stars (the present coin). These two types do not occur together on any published series. The astragalos is often used as a subsidiary symbol at various cities in Asia Minor, but only appears as a type on an issue of fractions at Mallos (cf. SNG France 385-6). The reverse type of those fractions, however, is always a swan that is canonical on issues of Mallos at that time. Similarly, the facing owl is used as a reverse type on the early issues of Amisos, but these always feature the head of Hera on the obverse (cf. BM Black Sea 1053-1126). One coin, from the first issue, may have the letters M-A below the wings of the owl (Meister & Sonntag 3, 58). While this would seem to suggest an attribution to Mallos, it would not be unusual for the letters to have been inscribed in reverse, leaving Amisos still a possibility.