THRACE, Ainos. Circa 412/1-410/09 BC. AR Tetradrachm (22.5mm, 16.63 g, 7h). NGC XF★, 5/5, 4/5, lt. marks.

CNG Feature Auction 129
Lot: 79.
Closing Date: May 14 2025 11:00 ET

Greek, Silver

Estimate: $ 5 000

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THRACE, Ainos. Circa 412/1-410/09 BC. AR Tetradrachm (22.5mm, 16.63 g, 7h). Head of Hermes right, wearing petasos with pelleted rim / Goat standing right; AIN-I above, kerykeion to right; all within incuse square. May, Ainos, Period II, 263a (A161/P172) = Morgan 172 (this coin, illustrated in both); AMNG II 288; HGC 3, 1269; Ward 416 (same dies). In NGC encapsulation 4280562-001, graded XF★, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, lt. marks.

Ex Dr. Walter Stoecklin (†1975) Collection (Nomos 14, 17 May 2017), lot 82, purchased from Bank Leu; American Numismatic Society Collection; J. Pierpont Morgan Collection (sold privately; not in H. Schulman or Stack’s sales).

The legendary founder of Ainos was said to be Ainios, a son of the god Apollo; the Roman poet Virgil apparently confused this name with that of the Trojan hero Aeneas and credits the city’s foundation to him. The main deity of the city was Hermes Perpheraios (”the wanderer”), and it is he who is depicted on the city’s early coinage. Here the messenger of the gods wears a tight-fitting conical hat called a petasos, and bears a particularly determined expression. The goat on the reverse symbolizes the god’s status as a patron of herdsmen. Ainos initially used the Persic weight standard, by which this issue would be a triple siglos.

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.

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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