TROAS, Dardanos(?). 3rd-1st centuries BC(?). Æ (12.5mm, 1.58 g, 12h). VF.

Electronic Auction 561
Lot: 137. Estimated: $ 100
Closing Date: May 1 2024 10:00 ET

Greek, 12h, Bronze

Sold For $ 850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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TROAS, Dardanos(?). 3rd-1st centuries BC(?). Æ (12.5mm, 1.58 g, 12h). Draped bust of female facing, wearing veil(?) / Warrior standing left, holding scepter, and placing hand and foot on prow to left. VAuctions 329, lot 147; otherwise, unpublished. Dark green patina, trace earthen deposits. VF. Extremely rare, perhaps the second known.

According to Leschhorn, only Dardanos is known to have struck coinage bearing an ethnic beginning ΔAP. He also records the rare early silver coins bearing ΔAPAΔO (cf. May, Damastion p. 197), but it is uncertain whether that is the name of a city or a personal name, and it is unlikely for a city in Illyra to feature a marine type as here. While Dardanos is a coastal town, the types here are completely novel compared to its known issues. Other than it’s early membership in the Delian League, Dardanos has no historical ties to any naval victory or prominence, though the reverse type here alludes to such. It is therefore possible that this coin is an issue from a city otherwise unknown from coinage.

Closing Date and Time: 1 May 2024 at 10:45:20 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.