Signed by Prokles

294, Lot: 43. Estimate $200. Sold for $300. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Katane. Circa 415/3-404 BC. AR Litra (11mm, 0.80 g, 6h). Obverse die signed by Prokles. Bearded head of Silenos left, wearing ivy wreath; tiny Π behind neck (barely visible) / Winged thunderbolt; shields flanking. Boehringer, Kataneische Li 6; Mirone 82; Rizzo pl. XIV, 17; SNG ANS –; SNG Lloyd –; BMC 47. Near VF, toned, a few cleaning marks under tone.

From the Robert and Julius Diez Collection. Ex Gustav Philipsen Collection (Part I, J. Hirsch XV, 28 May 1906), lot 967.

The dies used at Katane in the mid-late 5th century BC display some of the finest classical style engraving in Sicilian numismatics. Parallels in style between issues of Katane in this period and contemporary signed pieces from other mints have led numismatists to assign many dies to the work of master engravers such as Euainetos. The present piece, however, is signed Π, for the artist Prokles, whose full signature is known on tetradrachms at Katane in this period (cf. CNG 57, lot 83). This Prokles is thought to be the same artist who engraved a number of magnificent didrachm, hemidrachm, and litra dies at Naxos (cf. Cahn 108, 122, and 136, respectively). The quantity of his work there suggests that Naxos was his home (see also ACGC pp. 224-5).