Pyrrhic War Issue

373, Lot: 6. Estimate $100. Sold for $213. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, The Lucani. Circa 280-278 BC. AR Drachm (16mm, 2.88 g, 8h). Reduced Tarentine standard. Helmeted head of Athena right / Barley grain with leaf to right; club above leaf, ΛYK monogram to left. Robinson, Second, p. 51; Johnston pp. 17–8; HN Italy 2680. Fine, deeply toned, minor die shift. Rare.

From the J. Eric Engstrom Collection.

While Robinson and Johnston agree that this coinage was an issue of the Lucani during the time of Pyrrhos, and that it was struck on the reduced standard prevalent at Tarentum, they disagree on the mint of its issue. Robinson maintains that the coinage was struck at Metapontion, while Johnston views it as merely imitative of Metapontion’s types. Moreover, Johnston notes that while Athena was used as a type at Metapontion, the style of the portrait is quite different from its appearance on coins of that city, and are actually identical to the style of the Athena on the coins of Tarentum. Thus, she would view the types as imitating Tarentum and Metapontion, which makes their issue at the latter city less certain.