The Abduction of Persephone by Hades

Triton XV, Lot: 1384. Estimate $5000. Sold for $3500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

IONIA, League of Thirteen Cities. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Medallion (41mm, 52.38 g, 12h). Marcus Claudius Fronto, asiarch and high priest of the Thirteen Cities. AV KAI TI AI AΔPIANOC ANTΩNЄINOC ЄV, laureate and draped bust left / KOINON IΓ ΠOΛЄΩN [ΠPO M KΛ ΦPONTΩN] ACIAPX KAI APX IΓ ΠOΛЄΩN, the Abduction of Persphone: Hades, with billowing chlamys, in quadriga driven right by Eros above, holding scepter in left hand and carrying away Persephone; fallen flower basket below horses. J.U. Gillespie, “KOINON IΓ ΠOΛEΩN: A study of the coinage of the Ionian League,” RBN (1956), pp. 31-53, 1-5 (same dies); BMC 1 (same dies); SNG von Aulock 7812 (same dies). VF, red and dark grayish-green patina, edge crack, minor roughness. Extremely rare.

Ex Gorny & Mosch 151 (9 October 2006), lot 307.