Sale: CNG 66, Lot: 651. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 19 May 2004.  Sold For $780. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ASIA MINOR, Uncertain. Circa 4th-3rd century BC. AR Drachm (3.19 gm). Bearded head of Herakles left, wearing lion's skin headdress / Coiled serpent; QE within coil. SNG Kayhan -; BMC -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG von Aulock -; Weber -; McClean -; SNG France -; Traité -. Toned VF, light porosity. Unique? ($1000)

This interesting coin has characteristics of various coinages. One possible mint is Atarenios in Mysia, which has similar reverse types of a coiled serpent. That city, though, never employs a Herakles motif, and the only legend ever to appear is the city ethnic. Another possibility is that this is a new issue of Themistokles, but the style here is certainly later. His coinage also never used types relating to Herakles, and his monogram, when used, only appears alone within a dotted border. The island of Kos is also a possibility; its coinage employs both Herakles-head-left and serpent types, often with magistrates' names. However, the two types are only known from separate, successive periods, and the city ethnic is always present. Certainly an enigmatic piece.