Sale: CNG 66, Lot: 315. Estimate $5000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 19 May 2004.  Sold For $6000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Abdera. Circa 473-448 BC. AR Tetradrachm (14.60 gm). Magistrate Smordos (son of Ermokal-). Griffin seated left on tunny, right foreleg raised; kantharos before / EPI SM-ORDO-TORM-OKAL around small quadripartite incuse square; all within incuse square. May, Abdera, 134 (A113/P110); AMNG II 58; BMC Thrace pg. 67, 22. Lightly toned EF, reverse strike a little weak. Very rare variety, only the BMC specimen recorded by May. ($5000)

This rare tetradrachm issue records not only the magistrate's name, but also his patronymic (see May, pg. 47, note 1). It is the sole occurrence of this phenomenon in the Abdera series.