Special Donative

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 44. Estimate $3000.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $6250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LUCANIA, Metapontion. Time of Kleonymos. Circa 302 BC. AV Tetrobol (2.61 g, 9h). Achaean standard. Head of Nike facing slightly right, wearing necklace and earrings; NIKA to right / METAPON, barley ear of six grains with curly leaf to right. Johnston G3 (same dies); HN Italy 1629; SNG ANS 396; SNG Lloyd -; Gulbenkian 71; Kraay-Hirmer 245 (same obv. die). EF, underlying luster.

From the David Herman Collection. Ex Leu 76 (17 October 1999), lot 9; Münzen und Medaillen 32 (20 October 1966), lot 20.

The lovely facing female head on this rare coin was traditionally described as either Demeter or Persephone, the typical female deities on Metapontion's coinage, until a hoard discovered in the 1960s revealed this variety with the declarative inscription NIKA. This unusual feature as well as the overall treatment and choice of the design has led to the suggestion that it may be part of a special donative issue for Kleonymos, who exacted a heavy indemnity from the people of Metapontion for foregoing the opportunity to sack the city.