CNG 94, Lot: 648. Estimate $750. Sold for $900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CARIA, Uncertain. Circa 360-340 BC. AR Drachm (15mm, 3.48 g, 6h). Pseudo-Rhodian type. Head of Helios left within solar disk / Rose with bud to each side; M-E flanking. Ashton, Solar 26 (A13/P19); SNG Keckman –; Karl 796 (same dies); SNG von Aulock 2769; SNG Copenhagen 913. VF, dark find patina. Rare.

While some of these “solar disk” drachms are attributable to Rhodes, most of the issues have long been recognized as being psudo-Rhodian issues from mints in Caria. The ME issues had originally been assigned to Megiste, but R. Ashton convincingly argues against this speculative attribution (cf. R. Ashton, “The Coinage of Nisyros” in Travaux Le Rider, p. 16, n. 4).