CNG 88, Lot: 325. Estimate $2000. Sold for $13000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LESBOS, Mytilene. Circa 521-478 BC. AR Drachm (14mm, 4.12 g). Forepart of winged bull right / Quadripartite incuse square divided diagonally. MG 804, pl. 13, 25 (same obv. die). Good VF, lightly toned. Extremely rare.

Ex Leu 65 (21 May 1996), lot 202.

The cataloguer of the Leu sale attributed this issue to an uncertain mint in Ionia, noting the striking similarity of the style of the obverse to the archaic issues of Klazomenai that feature a winged boar forepart. At the same time, he noted that it was also similar in style to various winged boar foreparts on contemporary issues at Mytilene. While this cataloguer agrees with these comparisons, the weight of this example and its diagonally divided incuse are more consistent with issues of Lesbos than Ionia. The bull is also a common type used on issues at Mytilene, but relatively rare among issues in Ionia. Finally, in addition to using winged boars on its coinage, Mytilene also used winged lions, so the appearance of a winged bull would not be surprising (especially as all three of these motifs are common in eastern/Persian art). In sum, while the attribution to Mytilene is still conjectural, the preponderance of the evidence weighs greater in its favor than to a mint in Ionia.