Triton XIX, Lot: 2061. Estimate $30000. Sold for $55000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CYPRUS, Salamis. Evagoras II. Circa 361-351 BC. AV Stater (17.5mm, 8.20 g, 6h). Persian standard. Lion standing left, forepart lowered as if eating prey, on ground line; on its back, eagle standing left, head right, with wings folded / Artemis (or Apollo?) standing right, wearing short chiton, bow strapped on his back, drawing bow; EYA to left. Markou, L'or, p. 314, III (see note below); otherwise unpublished. Good VF, a few minor marks. Well centered. Unique.

From the collection of Dr. Lawrence A. Adams. Ex Triton VII (13 January 2004), lot 335.

Evagoras II, the namesake of his illustrious grandfather Evagoras I, succeeded his father Nikokles upon the latter’s assassination in 361 BC. Evagoras reigned for ten years but was expelled by his subjects in 351 BC after refusing to support a revolt against the Persians. He found refuge in Caria and was appointed satrap by the Persian king Artaxerxes III. In 350 BC, under instructions from Artaxerxes, the Carian satrap Hidrieus and Evagoras invaded Cyprus to reinstall Evagoras as King. The expedition failed and Artaxerxes then appointed Evagoras as king of Sidon. He apparently abused this appointment and was forced to flee to Cyprus, where he was captured and executed circa 346 BC.

E. Markou, in her book on the gold coinage of Cyprus, condemned this coin based on the iconography of the reverse. However, that determination was predicated on the assumption that the figure represented Herakles, which it clearly does not. In private correspondence with Markou, she agreed that the type more likely represented Artemis or Apollo, but still rejects this iconography on a Cypriot coin. In our opinion, the coin is clearly of ancient manufacture, and genuine in all respects. The appearance of this iconography, too, is unexceptional; though it may be unique to coinage on Cyprus, the depiction of Artemis or Apollo shooting a bow is well known on other coinage of the Greek world (see, e.g., at Abdera [cf. May 458], Ambrakeia [cf. BMC 20], Corinth [cf. Pegasi 454], Eleuthernai [cf. Svoronos 1], Larissa [cf. Rogers 307 and BCD 1174], and Syracuse [cf. HGC 2, 1412]). Moreover, the portrait of both Artemis and Apollo is known on other coins of Cyprus. In sum, it is our opinion that the type is not dispositive of the authenticity of the piece, and it has all the characteristics of an ancient coin.