Sale: Nomos 9, Lot: 159. Estimate CHF750.  Closing Date: Monday, 20 October 2014.  Sold For CHF600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Ionia or the Thrako-Makedonian Area, Uncertain. c. 600-550 BC. Twenty-fourth (Electrum, 6mm, 0.69 g), probably on the Phokaian weight standard. Scorpion (or crayfish?) Rev. Irregular incuse square. Apparently unpublished and unknown, but surely from the same issue as the hekte that appeared as lot 183 of Nomos 5 (2011) and the hemihekte that appeared as lot 173 of Bank Leu 30 (1982). Minor marks and struck on a flan too small for the die, otherwise, very fine.

From the RRG collection, acquired prior to 1978.

Uncertain electrum coins have tradtionally been attributed to Ionia but it is quite clear that some certainly were struck in northern Greece. This scorpion series is likely to have been struck there, if only because of the roughness of the incuses on their reverses: this is quite unlike the practice in Asia.