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Research Coins: Electronic Auction

 
110, Lot: 14. Estimate $300.
Sold for $450. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

BRUTTIUM, Rhegion. Circa 480-478 BC. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 17.24 gm). Seated man (Anaxilas?) driving biga of mules right, holding reins in both hands; laurel leaf in exergue / Hare springing right. Caltabiano, La Monetazione di Messana, 94 (D47/R54); SNG ANS 628 (same dies); HN Italy 2472. Fine, toned.

Lot includes Sear Certificate of Authenticity.

The tyrant Anaxilas took control of Rhegion around 494 BC. He spent the next 6 years trying to gain control of Zancle, when in 488 he expelled the Samians who had earlier double crossed him. After the expulsion of the Samians, Anaxilas repopulated Zancle with settlers from various areas, including Messenia in southern Greece, his home town, and changed the name to Messana. In 480, Anaxilas replaced the existing coin types at both Messana and Rhegion with a new series struck on the Attic standard: the obverse featured a mule-car and the reverse a hare. The choice of type echoed the Syracusan quadriga design, but was also important for Anaxilas personally since he had won a victory in the mule-car race at the Olympic games.