Ex Lockett Collection – Pedigreed to 1928
LUCANIA, Thourioi. Circa 443-400 BC. AR Nomos (20.5mm, 7.82 g, 1h). Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with laurel branch and ivy leaf / Bull butting right; ΘOYPIΩN above; in exergue, fish right. HN Italy 1775; SNG ANS 925 (same dies); SNG Lockett 472 (
this coin); Dewing 417. Beautiful old cabinet tone, slightly off center, minor die break on obverse. Good VF. Rare variety with ivy leaf in laurel wreath.
Ex Richard Cyril Lockett Collection (Greek Part I, Glendining, 25 October 1955), lot 348; Ars Classica XIII (27 June 1928), lot 108.
In 446 BC, with the aid of Athens, the refugee population of the destroyed city of Sybaris returned to the location of their previous home, and founded a new city, giving it the name Thourioi. The new city quickly regained the prosperity enjoyed by its former incarnation, as evidenced by the extensive series of coins it issued over the following two centuries. Although its perennial rival had been Kroton, the new city grew close to its former enemy, and Tarentum as well. Good relations with the latter were probably responsible for the weakening of Thourioi's historical connection to Athens, and she turned to Sparta during the Peloponnesian War. Although supported by Tarentum, the city suffered at the hands of the Lucanians and Brettians during the 4th century. In need of a more robust ally, the Thourians turned to Rome in 285 BC. Unlike many cities in southern Italy, Thourioi's support of Rome was steadfast during both the time of Pyrrhos and Hannibal's invasion, even though the Thourians suffered heavily at the hands of the latter. The coinage of Thourioi was diverse in both its denominations and metals. The primary types were the head of Athena, probably due to the city's initial close relationship with Athens, and a standing or butting bull, which had been the civic type on the coins of Sybaris.
