Apollonian Hydra

CNG 90, Lot: 406. Estimate $300. Sold for $1500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

MACEDON, Apollonia. 4th century BC. Æ (17mm, 5.38 g, 4h). Wreathed head of Persephone right / Hydra left. SNG ANS -; Traité IV 466 (Lamia in Thessaly); Rogers 246 (Heracleia Trachinia in Thessaly); Robinson & Clement p. 342, and pl. XXXII, 13 (Lamia in Thessaly); Robinson & Clement, Excavations at Olynthus. Part IV. The Coins Found at Olynthus in 1931 (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1933), p. 83, 734-6 (Lamia in Thessaly); CNG 81, lot 266. Near EF, dark green patina, some roughness. Extremely rare.

From the BCD Collection.

This rare bronze issue was traditionally attributed to Lamia in Thessaly due to the hydra reverse type, which is found on the early silver of that city (see Georgiou, Mint, 1-3). None of the published examples have a clear ethnic. However, two examples in a private collection have enough of the ethnic visible to confirm that the issuing city is called Apollonia. As all of the examples with a known find spot have been found in Macedon, it is nearly certain that they were issued by one of the three Apollonias of Macedon. As yet, however, there is too little evidence to ascribe these coins to one of the cities in particular.