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Feature Auction
CNG Feature Auction 120

Lot nuber 511

KYRENAICA, Kyrene. Circa 500-480 BC. AR Tetradrachm (21mm, 15.91 g, 6h).


CNG Feature Auction 120
Lot: 511.
 Estimated: $ 7 500

Greek, Silver

Sold For $ 26 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Go to Live

KYRENAICA, Kyrene. Circa 500-480 BC. AR Tetradrachm (21mm, 15.91 g, 6h). Silphion plant; to lower left, forepart of stag upward; silphion fruit to lower right / Rectangular incuse punch, bisected lengthwise by beaded band, forming two smaller rectangles; floral(?) pattern in upper rectangle; in lower rectangle, silphion plant and quadruped left. Buttrey, Coins, Period I, Group 1B, unlisted type; BMC p. 123, 2bis var. (patterns in incuse); Rosen 759 var. (same). Light roughness. Good VF. Extremely rare.

Kyrene was a city on the coast of North Africa founded by colonists from Thera. By the end of the sixth century BC, the city had developed into a thriving trading center, particularly due to the export of its native silphion plant. It is likely that the success of this trade resulted in Kyrene establishing one of the earliest mints in North Africa, which opened in the late 6th century BC. So important was the silphion plant that it was the principal type on its civic coinage until the city came under Ptolemaic rule in the late fourth century BC. The present coin is from the first period of coinage at Kyrene, and is apparently only the second known tetradrachm from the second group, which featured the stag as a subsidiary symbol, and the reverses began to include rudimentary types within their incuses.

The final winners of all CNG 120 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 11-12 May 2022. CNG 120 – Session Two – Greek Coinage (Part 2) through Roman Provincial Coinage will be held Wednesday afternoon, 11 May 2022 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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