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SICILY, Syracuse. Second Democracy. 466-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (25.5mm, 17.21 g, 1h). Dies signed by Euth– and Eum(enes). Struck circa 415-409 BC. Winged Eros as charioteer, wearing long chiton, holding reins in both hands, driving fast quadriga right; above, Nike, wearing long chiton, flying left, crowning charioteer with laurel wreath held in her extended right hand; in exergue, dolphin swimming right behind Skylla, holding trident in extended right hand, swimming right, EVΘ before / Head of Arethousa left, wearing wreath of grain ears and linear necklace with lion head pendant; EVM below, four dolphins and ΣVPAKO-ΣIΩИ around. Fischer-Bossert, Coins 46 (V15/R28); Tudeer 47; HGC 2, 1334; SNG ANS 273 (same dies); SNG Lloyd 1381 (same dies); SNG Lockett 968 (same dies); SNG München 1058 (same dies); BMC 153 (same dies); Basel 460 (same dies); Gulbenkian 279 = Bement 498 (same dies); Gillet 621 (same dies); Hirsch 602 (same dies); Jameson 796 (same dies); de Luynes 1212 (same dies); McClean 2714 (same dies); Rizzo pl. XLIV, 6 = de Luynes 1213 (same dies). In NGC encapsulation 4241982-006, graded AU★, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Fine Style. Well centered and struck from dies of fine style.
Ex Penn Collection (Heritage 3089, 20 January 2021), lot 31010; Phoenix Art Museum Collection (Triton II, 1 December 1998), lot 243; Orme Lewis Sr. Collection.
In the last two decades of the 5th century BC Syracuse was the focus of an unparalleled experiment in Greek numismatics. Its economy was fueled by the vast amount of currency required to pay the mercenaries by which the city's hegemony expanded, and the high denomination silver coins struck at this time became canvases for the most brilliant engravers of antiquity. Two of these master engravers, Euth(ymos?) and Eumenes, signed the obverse and reverse dies of this spectacular tetradrachm during the waning years of the Second Democracy (466-405 BC). The innovations in artistic style are numerous and provocative. On the obverse, the chariot is driven not by a human driver but by a winged male figure wearing a long chiton, sometimes described as Nike but more probably Eros, while Nike swoops down from above to crown him. The horses rear and strain at the reins, their forehooves pawing at the air, each horse in a slightly different pose. Below, in the exergue, is an astonishing creature: the monster Skylla, blending the upper torso of a woman with the tail of a sea serpent, hitherto unseen on a coin of Syracuse. On the reverse, the pert head of Arethousa wears her hair in a tight arrangement of plaits coiled at the top of the head, and woven through with grain ears (some specialists speculate the head represents Persephone rather than Arethousa). Both sides of this rare issue are unlike anything that had come before in the extensive Syracusan series and pointed the way toward the genre-defining work of Kimon and Euainetos in the following decades.
The final winners of all Triton XXVIII lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 14-15 January 2025.
Triton XXVIII – Session One – Lot 1–287 will be held Tuesday morning, 14 January 2025 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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