Exceptional XENO-signed Tetradrachm

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 358. Estimate $25000.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $37500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ISLANDS off CARIA, Rhodos. Rhodes. Circa 404-385 BC. AR Tetradrachm (15.14 g, 12h). Chian standard. Reverse die signed by Xe(no)-. Head of Helios facing slightly right / RODION, rose with bud to right; to left, A above lion’s head right; X-E flanking stem; all within incuse square. Hecatomnus 50 (A33/P43) = Bérend 33 (this coin); Ashton 28; SNG Copenhagen -. EF, toned. Extremely rare, only six Xeno-signed coins known, this the only one with these symbols. Exceptional condition for this high-relief series.

Ex Classical Numismatic Review XXV (Summer 2000), no. 51 (and cover coin); Leu 77 (11 May 2000), lot 326; 1971 Marmaris Hoard (IGCH 1209).

The artist Xeno- is known from four reverse dies, all of which occur with different subsidiary symbols: sphinx, shrimp, lion’s head with A, and lion’s head with D (Hecatomnus 46-47, 48, 50, and 53, respectively). It is unknown whether the obverse dies paired with these reverse dies are also the work of Xeno- (some also occur with unsigned reverses), but they are of the finest style in the early Rhodian series.