Extremely Rare Mercenary Issue

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 84. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Mytistratos. 354/3-344 BC. Æ Hemilitron (29.24 g, 6h). Bearded head of Hephaistos right, wearing pileos / VM and six pellets within laurel wreath. Castrizio series I, 1 (D1/R1); CNS III 1 OS (same dies); SNG ANS -; SNG Lloyd -; Pozzi 1133. Good Fine, dark brown patina. Overstruck on uncertain type. Extremely rare mercenary issue.

Mytistratos, probably located near modern Marianopoli, was a city in the interior of Sicily. It was settled by mercenaries, possibly from Lucania, who had served under Timoleon. All of its coins are bronze and are overstruck on other coin types, usually Syracusan bronzes.