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CNG Feature Auction 118

Lot nuber 1317

GERMANY, Nürnberg (city). AR Medal (52mm, 22.81 g, 12h). The Blinding of Zaleukos of Lokri/The Judgement of Cambyses. From the workship of Melchior Bayer, circa 1535.


CNG Feature Auction 118
Lot: 1317.
 Estimated: $ 500

World Medals, Coin-in-Hand Video, Silver

Sold For $ 800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Go to Live

GERMANY, Nürnberg (city). AR Medal (52mm, 22.81 g, 12h). The Blinding of Zaleukos of Lokri/The Judgement of Cambyses. From the workship of Melchior Bayer, circa 1535. Zaleukos seated right, having eye gouged out by figure standing left; to right, Zaleukos’s son standing right, pressed against a column by another figure standing left / Cambyses standing facing, holding scepter, forcing Otanes, standing right, to sit on the skin of his father Sisanes on throne to right; courtiers in background to left. Ophthalmologia XIV.48 (this medal illustrated). Toned, cast and chased as made. VF.

From the Dr. Jay M. Galst Collection. Ex Munzzentrum 69 (12 September 1990), lot 2460; Franz Seeger Collection (A. Hess 201, 23 June 1930), lot 3719.

Two fascinating myths are shown on this piece. On the obverse is depicted Zaleukos, the King of Lokri, who had ordered that all found guilty of adultery be punished by blinding. When his own son was caught committing the crime, he insisted that the punishment be carried out, but allowed him to escape with one eye intact, on the condition that one of Zaleukos’s own eyes be removed.

The reverse depicts the Judgement of Cambyses, which Herodotus relates as follows: “Sisamnes, the father of Otanes, had been one of the royal judges, and Cambyses had cut his throat and flayed off all his skin because he had been bribed to give an unjust judgment. Then he cut leather strips of the skin which had been torn away and with these he covered the seat upon which Sisamenes had sat to give judgment. After doing this, Cambyses appointed the son of this slain and flayed Sisamnes to be judge in his place, admonishing him to keep in mind the nature of the throne on which he was sitting.” (Herodotus 5.25)

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 118 lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 13-14 September 2021. CNG Feature Auction 118 – Session Four – Roman Imperial Coinage Part 2 through Antiquities will be held Tuesday afternoon, 14 September 2021 beginning at 2:00 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 22.50% for all others.

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