Enigmatic Rarity

397, Lot: 41. Estimate $300. Sold for $650. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Uncertain mint. Late 5th century BC. AR Pentonkion – Hemilitra (8mm, 0.20 g). Horned head of river god facing slightly right / Wheel of four spokes, each with small cross member; pellet in each quarter and one in center; all within linear circle. Manganaro 34 (Punic?) = Manganaro, mikrà, pl. 5, 73 (Kamarina?); otherwise unpublished in the standard references. Good Fine, toned, light porosity. Well centered. Extremely rare, apparently only three published: two noted by Manganaro and two in CoinArchives (the present piece and one of that was noted by Manganaro).

Ex Classical Numismatic Group 60 (22 May 2002), lot 226.

Manganaro first published this type in his 1984 JNG article, where he tentatively attributed it to Kamarina. In his 1998 article, he added another example, and changed his attribution to possibly a Punic issue. However, all surveys of Punic issues since that time have not included this type.