Sale: CNG 73, Lot: 78. Estimate $5000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 13 September 2006.  Sold For $9850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Syracuse. Second Democracy. 466-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.29 g, 9h). Struck circa 420-415 BC. Charioteer driving quadriga right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses; in exergue, grasshopper right / Head of Arethusa right, hair in ampyx and net held on her forehead by two ribbons; four dolphins around. Boehringer series XXV, 726 (V358/R494); SNG ANS 246; BMC 124; Jameson 782; Pozzi 589 (all struck from the same dies). Good VF, toned, obverse struck off center and slightly weak, minor surface roughness. A masterpiece of die engraving.

Ex New York Sale IV (17 January 2002), lot 76.

This exceptionally engraved coin is from the last issue preceding the series whose dies are signed by the various master engravers. As such, it is likely that this piece was struck from unsigned dies by one of these masters.