Ex Voirol and Hermitage Collections

CNG 94, Lot: 50. Estimate $1000. Sold for $2400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, Velia. Circa 280 BC. AR Nomos (20mm, 7.48 g, 1h). Helmeted head of Athena left, helmet decorated with griffin; [A before crest], IE within incuse square behind neck guard / Lion attacking stag left. Williams 543a corr. (O274/R380) = Hermitage Sale II 138 (this coin); HN Italy 1318; SNG ANS 1405 (same dies). VF, attractive old collection toning, minor metal flaw on obverse.

From the JMG Collection. Ex August Voirol Collection (Münzen und Medaillen AG 38, 7 December 1968), lot 10; Hermitage Collection (Schlessinger 13, 4 February 1935), lot 138.

Williams recorded the incorrect weight of this piece that was listed in the Voirol sale, which likely led him to question the further pedigree to the Hermitage sale, where the weight was listed (more correctly) as “7.4.” The weight recorded here confirms the error in Voirol. Moreover, the minor flan flaw on the obverse is visible in the illustration of lot 138 in the Schlessinger catalog, which helps confirm the validity of the pedigree to that sale.