Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 105. Estimate CHF37500.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF57000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CYCLADES, Tenos. Circa 200-188 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 13.11 g 12), Rhodian standard weight. Laureate head of Apollo Karneios to right with ram’s horn over his ear. Rev. ΤΗΝΙΩΝ Poseidon seated left on high-backed throne, holding dolphin in his right hand and trident in his left; to left in field, bunch of grapes. É&A-G 102. Extremely rare and important, one of only five tetradrachms of Tenos known. Nicely toned, Extremely fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen 95, 4 October 2004, 41, from the collection of S. Boutin Monnaies et Médailles 76, 19 September 1991, 801, ex Ars Classica XVI, 3 July 1933, 1315 and from the Carystus Hoard of 1930 (IGCH 210).

This is one of the rarest of all Cycladic coins, known only from a very few specimens. The head on the obverse closely resembles that of Alexander on the coins of Lysimachos but the laurel wreath proves that it is of Apollo.