Unique New Issue for Kyrene

Triton XIX, Lot: 2113. Estimate $30000. Sold for $60000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KYRENAICA, Kyrene. temp. Ophellas. Ptolemaic governor, first reign, circa 322-313 BC. AV Stater (19mm, 8.57 g, 1h). Pheidonos, magistrate. Charioteer, holding kentron in right hand, reins in both, driving slow quadriga half-right; ΦEIΔΩ[OΣ] above / Apollo Kitharoidos standing facing, wearing laurel wreath, holding kithara in left hand, kithara in right; to left, laurel plant above arm, silphion plant below; ΚΥΡΑΝΑΙΟΝ to right. Unpublished. Near EF, a few minor marks, edge nick. Unique.

From the collection of Dr. Lawrence A. Adams. Ex Battos Collection (Nomos 9, 21 October 2014), lot 197.

From the Nomos sale: “This coin is decidedly unexpected! The gold coinage of Kyrene has been very carefully studied, both by E.S.G. Robinson in the BMC and by L. Naville in his well known publication of 1951, and the idea that a completely unknown Kyrenaian stater should appear from an old collection is astounding. Not only that, the appearance of Apollo Kitharoidos as its reverse is a further novum since this aspect of the god was also previously unknown on the coinage of Kyrene. The type is very close to the well-known Apollo Barberini in the Glyptothek, which is thought to reflect the cult statue of Apollo from the Temple of Apollo Palatinus in Rome (though this statue was surely based on an earlier Greek prototype).” We add that the magistrate Pheidonos is attested on contemporary silver didrachms, Traité III 1894, as well as drachms, Naville 144.