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Research Coins: Electronic Auction

 
300, Lot: 139. Estimate $100.
Sold for $75. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Philippopolis. Elagabalus. AD 218-222. Æ (18mm, 3.95 g, 6h). Laureate head right / Nude athlete hurling javelin. Varbanov 1769. Near VF, dark green patina, rough surfaces.


From the Garth R. Drewry Collection (Classical Numismatic Group eAuction 146), lot 125; Ex Classical Numismatic Group 60 (22 May 2002), lot 1220.

The javelin, along with the discus and broad-jump carrying weights, was unique to the ancient Pentathlon; the remaining two events were the 200-yard foot race and wrestling. The ancient javelin differed from its modern counterpart in that a finger thong was used; i.e., a leather thong attached to the shaft of the javelin with a loop for the athlete's first and second fingers. The device functioned as a sling and was also used on Greek military javelins. Purportedly, Napoleon Bonaparte tested the finger thong finding that an untrained athlete could throw the javelin 81 feet without the thong and 211 feet with the thong. In antiquity, it is believed that an athlete was given five attempts to produce his best effort with the javelin.