Triton XVI, Lot: 147. Estimate $300. Sold for $350. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

TAURIC CHERSONESOS, Chersonesos. Circa 45–44 BC. Æ (24mm, 14.73 g, 7h). Artemis Parthenos advancing left, preparing to strike with raised right hand a stag recumbent left, looking upward at her; XЄPC ЄΛЄY to left / Bull butting left; legends obscured. Cf. Anokhin 831–2; cf. Anokhin, Khersonesa 200–1; RPC I –; SNG Pushkin –; SNG Stancomb –; Sutzu II –; K.V. Golenko, “Состав денежного обращения Херсонеса” (Composition of Chersonese currency in the 1st century BC) in Вестник древней истории (Journal of Ancient History) 4 (1964), 3 and pl. I, 5. Fine, dark green-brown patina, large cuts on reverse apparently applied to “erase” the legend. Extremely rare, possibly the second known.

From the Alex Shubs Collection.

This obverse of this coin appears to have been struck with the obverse type of Anokhin 832, while the reverse appears to use the obverse type of Anokhin 831. This may explain the “erased” legend on the reverse here, as it would be redundant to the obverse, and the obverse of these two types was the proper place for the city ethnic. At the same time, however, one should expect either a monogram or magistrate’s name to have been added on the reverse, but, curiously, neither is present. The sole published example, in the Golenko article (op. cit.) also exhibits similar “erasures” on its reverse.