CNG 91, Lot: 186. Estimate $10000. Sold for $14000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ATTICA, Athens. Circa 500/490-485/0 BC. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 16.15 g, 5h). Helmeted head of Athena right, pellets on visor / Owl standing right, head facing; olive spray behind; all within incuse square. Seltman group Gii (cf. obv. dies A176-7); Asyut group IVf, 343; SNG Copenhagen 19. Good VF, toned. Very rare.

Ex Count de Laval Collection [Property of a Nobleman] (Glendining, 18 April 1955), lot 379.

The pellets on the visor are a very unusual feature, which only appears on two obverse dies in Seltman (the die used for the Asyut coin is uncertain, but may be one of the two identified by Seltman). The style of these two dies is very similar to that of the present coin, and it is likely that the same engraver was responsible for them all. Interestingly, the reverse dies used with these obverses are also remarkably similar in style.