Beautiful Syracuse Tetradrachm – Pedigreed to 1966

5697171.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24.5mm, 17.40 g, 10h). Unsigned dies in the style of Parmenides. Struck circa 405-400 BC. Charioteer, wearing long chiton, holding kentron in right hand and reins in both, driving fast quadriga left; above, Nike, wearing long chiton, flying right, crowning charioteer with wreath held in her extended hands; in exergue, grain ear left / Head of Arethousa left, wearing ampyx and sphendone decorated with stars, wearing triple-pendant earring and linear necklace; Σ-Y-PAKOΣIΩN and four dolphins around, the lowest emanating from her neck truncation. Fischer-Bossert, Coins 72a (V33/R61 – this coin); Tudeer 72; HGC 2, 1342; SNG Copenhagen 672 (same dies); SNG Lloyd 1389 = Rizzo pl. XLVII, 18 = Jameson 837 (same dies). Lovely light golden hues around the devices, a hint of die wear on obverse. Near EF. Rare, and among the finest known.

Ex Phillips Family Collection; Nomos 17 (26 October 2018), lot 53; Numismatica Ars Classica 59 (4 April 2011), lot 533; L. von Hoffmann (Sotheby’s, 5 July 1995), lot 26; Leu 36 (7 May 1985), lot 67; Münzen und Medaillen AG 32 (20 October 1966), lot 58.

The revolution that overtook Greek art in the later fifth century BC is perfectly exemplified in this stunning pair of dies in the style of the Syracusan die master Parmenides. Over the previous 100 years, Syracusan coinage had advanced stylistically from the static and almost Egyptian conventions of archaic art, through the cool idealism of early classical sculpture, to arrive at the lively and expressive composition seen here. On the obverse, a racing four-horse chariot is depicted having just struck the wreckage of another chariot car, whose broken wheel lies beneath the horses’ rear hooves, while their fore-hooves kick at the air as the steeds try to recover their stride. Such catastrophic crashes must have been a common sight at these highly competitive and dangerous races, and the engraver has frozen the moment as on a frame of movie film. Above, the winged goddess Nike swoops down, preparing to crown the charioteer, hinting that this driver will survive the near-smashup and go on to win the race. In contrast with the frenetic obverse, the serene and lovely head of Arethousa on the reverse is rendered with superb delicacy, her complex coiffeur and triple-pendant earrings no doubt reflecting contemporary styles popular with highborn women. The natural liveliness evident on both sides marks an apogee of engraving that made the coinage of Syracuse the envy the Greek world.