In the Style of the Master Theodotos
IONIA, Klazomenai. Circa 380-360 BC. AR Drachm (16mm, 4.02 g, 6h). Mandronax, magistrate.
Unsigned dies in the style of Theodotos. Head of Apollo facing slightly left, wearing laurel wreath, drapery around neck / Swan standing left, wings spread; MANΔPONA[Ξ] to left, KΛ-A below. SNG Copenhagen –; SNG München –; cf. BMC 26 (hemidrachm); SNG Lockett 2792 (same dies); Traité II 1998. Deeply toned with iridescence. Near EF. Well centered, and exceptional metal for issue.
Ex David Herman Collection (Triton X, 9 January 2007), lot 295; Schweizerische Bankverein 38 (12 September 1995), lot 213.
This drachm is from the same series as the beautiful tetradrachms that were struck from dies by the artist Theodotos, whose signature is engraved on the obverse of those coins (cf. BMC 19 and Berlin obj. no. 18216496 [both also from the same magistrate as the present coin]). Due to the close similarity of style across all the issues, it is thought that the dies for the fractional silver of this series were struck from unsigned dies by the same master.
