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SICILY, Segesta. Circa 405/2-400 BC. AR Tetradrachm (27.5mm, 17.42 g, 6h). The hero Egestes, nude, standing right, cap slung over shoulder and chlamys over left arm, resting left foot on rock; EΓEΣTAIΩN to left; below, two hounds standing right at his feet, one sniffing the ground; small ithyphallic herm to lower right / Head of the nymph Segesta right, hair bound in ampyx and a star embroidered sakkos, wearing triple-pendant earring and necklace with pendants; ΣEΓEΣTAΞIA to right, grain ear below. Hurter, Didrachmenprägung T8 (V4/R7); Lederer 6; HGC 2, 1108 (same dies as illustration); BMC 32 = Kraay & Hirmer 203 (same dies); Hirsch 523 (same dies); McClean 2555 (same dies); Regling, Kunstwerk 567 (same obv. die); Rizzo pl. LXII, 14 (same dies). Lightly toned, roughness, some horn silver, cleaning marks. VF. Wonderful style. Rare.
Ex Heritage 3115 (8 May 2024), lot 31003.
Segesta was the principal city of the Elymi in north-west Sicily. The Segestans wrote their Elymian language in Greek characters, as witnessed by their coins. They developed a traditional hostility with Selinos, in the pursuit of which they allied themselves with Athens in 418/7 BC (Thuc. 6. 6-8 and 46). In 409 BC, Segesta passed into the Carthaginian sphere of influence in another attempt to combat the encroachments of Selinos. Carthage captured and sacked Selinos in that same year.
Although the most common denomination at Segesta was the didrachm, a few very rare and extremely accomplished tetradrachms were minted in about 400 BC with a remarkably detailed representation of a young huntsman. S. Hurter has maintained the traditional identification of this young man as Egestes, the legendary founder of the city, son of the Trojan maiden Segesta by the river-god Krimsos. Other plausible identifications are the hunter Krimsos or Pan, god of the hunt.
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 129 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 13-14 May 2025. This lot is in Session One, which will begin 13 May at 9 AM ET.
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