PHRYGIA, Laodicea ad Lycum. Time of Philip I, AD 244-249. Æ Diassarion (25.5mm, 8.31 g, 6h). Sardis workshop.

CNG Feature Auction 120
Lot: 629. Estimated: $ 300

Roman Provincial, Bronze

Sold For $ 950. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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PHRYGIA, Laodicea ad Lycum. Time of Philip I, AD 244-249. Æ Diassarion (25.5mm, 8.31 g, 6h). Sardis workshop. Draped bust of the Senate right / The rivers Kapros, as a boar, and Lykos, as a wolf, seated facing each other. SNG von Aulock 3832 var. (boar and wolf seated back to back); RPC VIII Online 71427 (this coin). Brown patina, light porosity, some scratches. VF. Extremely rare, only this coin known to RPC, and the only example in CoinArchives.

From the Roy Iwata Collection, purchased from Shanna Schmidt, September 2020. Ex Nomos Obolos 15 (24 May 2020), lot 639.

It is interesting to note that most river gods are depicted as themselves, often reclining in the exergue, below the primary scene on the reverse of the coin, other times, as the primary focus of the reverse. But it is rare to see them anthropomorphized as we do here. The two rivers which flow through this city are the Lykos, or Wolf River, and the Kapros, or Wild Boar River, and our river gods are depicted as these two animals, attributes the local inhabitants and travelers would have understood well.

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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