Sale: Nomos 8, Lot: 18. Estimate CHF2750.  Closing Date: Monday, 21 October 2013.  Sold For CHF3000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, Metapontum. Circa 400-340 BC. Didrachm or Nomos (Silver, 21mm, 7.55 g 2). Female head (perhaps Demeter) to left, her hair twisted into a long, thick braid that is wrapped twice around her head; behind her neck, ΣΤ. Rev. ΜΕΤΑ Barley ear with leaf to left. HN III 1527. Noe 475. Very rare, an attractive toned example. About extremely fine.

From the B. in B. Collection, ex Münzen und Medaillen 79, 28 February 1994, 48.

In the MM auction catalogue this coin was given an extensive pedigree, including two Hirsch auctions, Strozzi and Lloyd but, upon checking, it seems that this was incorrect. While the dies are the same, the shape of the flan is different, as is the weight: this is one of the rare mistakes to be found in an MM catalogue! In fact, the coin they cite appeared in 2004 as NAC O, 1111 and is very inferior to this one.