Sale: Nomos 5, Lot: 115. Estimate CHF20000.  Closing Date: Monday, 24 October 2011.  Sold For CHF42000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Katane. Circa 461-450 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.69 g 11). Man-headed bull (the river-god Amenanos) swimming to right; above, satyr leaping over the bull’s back to right, placing a wreath on his head; below, in exergue, ketos swimming to right. Rev. ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΟΝ Nike, wearing chiton and peplos and with open wings, standing right, holding an open taenia or fillet in each hand. Jameson 534 (same dies). Cf. Randazzo 60-68 for a similar obverse die. Cf. Rizzo pl. IX, 14 (with the same obverse die but with Nike to left). Very rare. Attractively toned and well centered. Some traces of die rust and with a very lightly double struck reverse, otherwise unusually nice and , extremely fine.

From a European collection, bought in the 1980s.

The early tetradrachms of Katane, produced after the refoundation of the city following the Aitna episode, were very well designed. However, they were minted in what appears to be great haste since so many are badly made:off center or lightly struck, or from rusty dies. This makes it likely that they were produced over a relatively short period, perhaps only a few years. This conclusion is supported by C.Arnold-Biucchi in her commentary on the examples found in the Randazzo Hoard (pp. 22-24; the present type is one of the very few Katane varieties not in that hoard).