Sale: Nomos 8, Lot: 17. Estimate CHF1500.  Closing Date: Monday, 21 October 2013.  Sold For CHF3400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, Metapontum. Circa 400-340 BC. Didrachm or Nomos (Silver, 20mm, 7.82 g 10). ΝΙΚ[Α] Head of Nike to left, wearing broad diadem adorned with an olive wreath and tied at the back, her hair carefully bound up, below her chin, Σ. Rev. ΜΕΤΑΠΟ Barley ear; to left, locust upwards below leaf. HN III 1524. Jameson 295 = Noe 451a (same dies). Attractively toned. Some cleaning marks on Nike’s neck, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the B. in B. Collection, ex Triton IV, 5 December 2000, 45.

The appearance of Nike on the coinage of Metapontum is fairly uncommon - she reappears on gold coins at time of Pyrrhus - and must relate to some military success: it would be tempting to connect it to the expedition of Alexander of Epirus, but the coin is surely too early for that.