Sale: Triton VI, Lot: 201. Estimate $20000.  Closing Date: Monday, 13 January 2003.  Sold For $24000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACO-MACEDONIAN. Uncertain (Ennea-Hodoi?). Circa 500-480 BC. EL Stater (14.01 gm). Milesian standard. Cow right, kneeling and suckling calf; floral symbol above, branch to right / Rectangular incuse punch, faint dividing line. Traité I 77 (pl. III, 1) = Kraay-Hirmer 589 (same reverse die). Good VF. Extremely rare, apparently the second known and finest example. (See color enlargement on plate 3.) ($20,000)

The long discredited theory of Svoronos, proposed in L’hellenisme primitif de la Macédonie, pp. 187-197 and pl. 16, that there was a substantial Thraco-Macedonian electrum issue, was finally vindicated by Price in Coin Hoards II, 1976, pg. 7. The argument for the re-attribution of this and similar electrum issues (cf. Traité I, 71, 76-77, PCG pl. 1, 13, and Leu 13, 1975, 221 [Ionia]), previously ascribed to the Ionian region, to uncertain mints of Macedon and Thrace is very convincing. Find evidence and the coins' rectangular incuse squares suggest they were issued by Greek cities along the northern Aegean coast that were sympathetic to the cause of the Ionian Revolt of 499-494. The floral symbols of the crouching bull (cf. Rosen 148-149 and SNG ANS 929-934 [Derrones]) are Thraco-Macedonian in character and similar to the acanthus motif of the mint of Acanthus (SNG ANS 16-23). Similar silver staters and drachms with the cow suckling calf/incuse theme and inscribed EN were attributed by E. S. G. Rosinson to Ennea Hodoi, later Amphipolis (SNG Ashmolean 2264 = Kraay ACGC 560 [Ennea-Hodoi], SNG ANS 923-925 [The Bottiaei] and Rosen 258-159 [uncertain]).