Sale: CNG 69, Lot: 94. Estimate $2500.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 8 June 2005.  Sold For $2750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Morgantina (The Sikeliotes). Circa 214-213 BC. AR 8 Litrai (6.81 gm, 5h). Wreathed and veiled head of Persephone left; leaf behind / Nike driving quadriga right; monogram above. Burnett 109-110; Sjöqvist 2; SNG ANS 1168 (same obv. die); BMC Sicily 563-564 (same dies); Jameson 885 (same dies); de Luynes 1375 (same dies). EF, light iridescent toning, area of flat strike on reverse. Very rare. ($2500)

From the H.B. Collection.

The very rare Sikeliote coinage was struck at Morgantina when it seemed that a native revolt, supported by the Carthaginians, would succeed in driving the Romans from the island. The revolt failed, Morgantina was sacked, and only a scattering of the coinage survived. At the time of Burnett's article, only twelve examples of this coin were known (this particular coin was not among them), all struck from one obverse and three reverse dies.