Sale: Triton VII, Lot: 182. Estimate $2000.  Closing Date: Monday, 12 January 2004.  Sold For $1800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of THRACE. Kotys II. Circa 57-48 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.31 gm). Wreathed head of Dionysos right / KOTYOC right, XAPAKTHP left, sylized Herakles standing left, holding club and lion's skin. Youroukova 145; Lukanc 1924-1926. Good VF. Extremely rare, only a few specimens known! ($2000)

Ex Triton III (30 November - 1 December 1999), lot 422.

Youroukova records only six specimens of this coin, all struck from the same obverse die. Unique to Kotys, the legend is exceptional in that Kotys' name is written in the genitive, as is found on most coins, but the Greek word carakthr is written in the nominative, thus giving the entire meaning of the legend as 'die or seal of Kotys.' This, of course, would distinguish it from the very common and contemporary imitative tetradrachms of Thasos that circulated in the same region and were otherwise stylistically identical.