Ex Moretti and Niggeler Collections

CNG 112, Lot: 22. Estimate $1000. Sold for $1800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 340-335 BC. AR Nomos (22mm, 7.85 g, 11h). Nude youth on horse rearing right; to right, nude youth standing before the horse and restraining or comforting it; above, Nike flying right, crowning the rider; Z below / Phalanthos, nude, holding vase, riding dolphin left; K to right. Fischer-Bossert Group 53, 713h (V266/R557 – this coin); Vlasto 527 (same obv. die); HN Italy 892; BMC 172 (same dies); de Sartiges 18 (same dies). Toned, slightly off center, small die break on obverse, overstruck on uncertain type. VF.

From the Matthew Curtis Collection. Ex Triton I (2 December 1997), lot 45; A.D. Moretti Collection; Walter Niggeler Collection (Part 1, Leu/Münzen und Medaillen AG, 3 December 1965), lot 33.

The signature KAΛ, appearing on Fischer-Bossert Groups 56-61, also appears on contemporary issues at Metapontion and Herakleia (Johnston, p. 53). Johnston, however, argued that these letters could not represent specific engravers, but some other individual tasked with the production of these coins (op. cit.). Fischer-Bossert’s omission of the Group 53 issues in his commentary on the signatures, including the K inscribed as here, suggests that he did not consider these letters engraver signatures. Nonetheless, although his name is lost to history, the fine style of dies on this issue suggests they are the product of a master artisan. As such, perhaps the K of this issue, and the famous KAΛ are one and the same.