Sale: CNG 72, Lot: 105. Estimate $1500.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 14 June 2006.  Sold For $3800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, Metapontion. Circa 470-440 BC. AR Nomos (8.22 g, 12h). ATEM on right, six-grained ear; grasshopper to left / ATEM on left, Incuse seven-grained ear; to right, outline of dolphin downward. Noe 260 corr. (same dies; dolphin); HN Italy 1486 corr. (dolphin). Good VF. Extremely rare, only three published examples, this the only one to show the dolphin on the reverse.

As all of the published examples of these dies are poorly struck, the dolphin is not visible on them. The dolphin does not appear among the various symbols employed on the dies this issue; however, it is employed, in an incuse or linear form, on the reverse of a few archaic issues, circa 540-510 BC (cf. HN Italy 1742).