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ARKADIA, Stymphalos. Circa 350 BC. AR Stater (26mm, 11.67 g, 2h). Head of Artemis right, hair tied in bun behind her head, wearing laurel wreath, ornate earring with rosette, crescent, and five pendants, and pearl necklace / Nude Herakles striding left, lion skin around left arm, holding bow in left hand, preparing to strike with club held aloft in his right hand; ΣΤYMΦAΛIΩN to left, ΣΟ between legs. Traeger, Arkadien 599; BCD Peloponnesos 1704–5; HGC 5, 1022; SNG Copenhagen 287 (same obv. die); SNG Spencer-Churchill 168 = Gillet 1005 (this coin); Kraay & Hirmer 514 (same obv. die); Traité III 884, pl. CCXXIV, 22 (same obv. die). Toned, holed in field in antiquity, a few cleaning scratches under tone, die breaks and minor double strike on obverse. VF. A masterwork of ancient art. Very rare, approximately 25 known, of which 15 are in museums.
From the Pythagoras Collection. Ex Leu 77 (11 May 2000), lot 226; Charles Gillet Collection; Capt. C. E. Spencer-Churchill Collection; Ars Classica XVI (3 July 1933), lot 1301.
The reverse design of this stater suggests that the artist had in mind a different approach to the myth of the Sixth Labor of Herakles when he engraved the die. According to the traditional rendering of the myth, Herakles, with the assistance of the gods Athena and Hephaistos, destroyed the Stymphalian Birds by shooting them down with his arrows once they took flight. Generally, this is the rendering of the event depicted on most coins – Herakles drawing his bow to take aim at the birds in flight. Such an active scene, however, when depicted on the coinage, results in a compact and often dense image. The engravers at Stymphalos, however, chose to employ a more novel and somewhat subtler design. Rather than adopting a literal interpretation, they chose to depict the hero in a more vigorous pose. Here, Herakles strides forth to do battle, lion skin flowing over his left arm behind him, while he holds his bow in his left hand (the only overt reference to the myth). His club, held in his raised right hand, is poised to strike. What he is about to strike, however, is the ethnic which curves upward in flight before him and serves as surrogate birds.
The final winners of all Triton XXVI lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 10-11 January 2023.
Triton XXVI – Session One – Lots 1-334 will be held Tuesday morning, 10 January 2023 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
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