Sale: Nomos 7, Lot: 19. Estimate CHF7000.  Closing Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2013.  Sold For CHF8000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SKYTHIA, The Sindi. Mid 4th century BC. Diobol (Silver, 1.44 g 6). Nude youth kneeling to right, wearing a tight fitting cap and holding an arrow (?) in his right hand and an unstrung bow in his left. Rev. ΣΙΝΔΩΝ Owl standing facing, with spread wings; all within shallow incuse square. HN p. 495. MacDonald, Bosporus, 79. Zograph pl. XXXIX, 38. Very rare, attractively toned, well centered and well struck. Extremely fine.

From the Spina Collection, ex Triton VII, 13 January 2004, 153 and Spink 3014, 8 October 2003, 10.

The Sindi were a people who lived on the east coast of the Black Sea, south of Pantikapaion. Their eponymous capital, in the area of present day Anapa, was also settled by Greeks and became the later city of Gorgippia. The figure on the coin seems to represent Skythes, one of three children born from a union of Herakles with the female monster Echidna. She had stolen some horses from him and only agreed to return them if he stayed with her. Skythes became the first ruler of the Skythians after proving himself powerful enough by stringing Herakles’ bow, which he had left behind when he departed from Echidna.