Third Known

255, Lot: 115. Estimate $300. Sold for $240. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CIMMERIAN BOSPOROS, Theodoseia. Circa 360-340 BC. Æ (14mm, 2.39 g, 12h). Head of Apollo or Herakles left / Bull butting right. Frolova, frühe, Type IV (uncertain dies); MacDonald 95; SNG BM Black Sea -; SNG Stancomb -. Near VF, dark brown patina, some tooling and smoothing. Extremely rare, only two examples known to Frolova (both in the Hermitage).

Ex Alex Shubs Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 84, 5 May 2010), lot 570.

Both of the Hermitage coins are fairly worn on the obverse, so the identity of the deity is uncertain; Frolova identifies him as Herakles, while MacDonald posits that it is Apollo (and laureate). Unfortunately this example cannot clarify the matter.