Triton XVIII, Lot: 672. Estimate $10000. Sold for $10000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CARIA, Uncertain. Circa 500-490 BC. AR Stater (19.5mm, 13.86 g). Two dolphins leaping in opposing directions, the top right, the bottom left; below, small dolphin leaping right; all within dotted square border with floral ornaments in the corners / Two parallel rectangular incuses with irregular striations. Cahn, Poseidion, pp. 11–2; HGC 6, 1350; SNG von Aulock 2743 var. (orientation of dolphins); SNG Keckman 283 var. (legend on obv.); Asyut 689–91; Boston MFA 2010 = Warren 1181; Jameson 1542. EF, toned. Rare, and exceptional for issue.

From the RAJ Colleciton, purchased from Fred Shore at Chicago International Coin Fair, 1999.

This issue had originally been attributed to Poseidion on Karpathos, but Cahn’s analysis of the issues bearing an inscription, πos, has conclusively shown that this legend is not an ethnic, and thus cannot indicate a mint at that city. It is most likely struck at a mint on the coast of Caria, or one of the other mints that used this form of double rectangular incuse: Ialysos, Kamiros, or Lindos. The style of the incuse suggests that this piece may predate the previously known issues of this mint.