CRETE, Olous. Circa 300-270 BC. AR Stater (26.5mm, 10.75 g, 12h). EF.

Triton XXVI
Lot: 178. Estimated: $ 50 000

Greek, 12h, Coin-in-Hand Video, Silver

Sold For $ 65 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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CRETE, Olous. Circa 300-270 BC. AR Stater (26.5mm, 10.75 g, 12h). Draped bust of Artemis Britomartis left, hair in band with laurel leaves adorning the top edge, wearing pearl necklace; quiver over her shoulder / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; monogram in left field, OΛONTIΩN to right. Svoronos, Numismatique 1, pl. XXII, 23 = Gillet 1023 = C.S. Liebe, Gotha numaria (Amsterdam: R. & J. Westenios, 1730), p. 191 (this coin); SNG Fitzwilliam 3976 (same dies); BMC 1; Hunterian 1; Mionnet II p. 289, 243. Deep cabinet tone, old cleaning scratches under tone on reverse. EF. Fine style. Extremely rare, one of seven known, and the sole example not in a public collection.

From the Pythagoras Collection. Ex Numismatica Genevensis 7 (27 November 2012), lot 205; Charles Gillet Collection; Schloss Friedenstein (Gotha) Collection (collection of Friedrich II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg).

Located on the northeastern coast of Crete, the city of Olous is now sunken and a popular underwater archeological park for divers. Its mint seems to have commenced striking coins circa 330 BC, but with a minimal output compared to other Cretan cities, and its coins are all exceptionally rare today. Olous contained a large wooden temple to the Cretan goddess Britomartis (”sweet maiden”), whose origins go back to Minoan times and was often syncretized with Artemis, as seen on this attractive silver stater. Though one of the lesser local deities, Britomartis had an elaborate mythology related by the Alexandrian scholar Kallimachos. According to one tale, she was pursued by King Minos with the intent to ravish her, but escaped by throwing herself into a fishing boat’s net and was taken by the crew to the mainland, thus bringing her cult to Greece. Her name and virginal character were later adopted into the allegorical female knight Britomart in Edmund Spenser’s epic poem dedicated to Elizabeth I, The Faerie Queene.

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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