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SICILY, Gela. Circa 415-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 17.06 g, 9h). Nike, wearing long chiton, holding kentron in right hand and reins in left, driving fast quadriga right; above, heron flying right / Forepart of man-headed bull advancing left from reeds, before which stands a heron right; above, barley grain above sŬE˝; olive spray with berry to upper right, emanating from the rump of the bull’s forepart behind the reeds; to lower left, fish upward; altar to right. Cf. Numismatica Ars Classica 114, lot 44 = Numismatica Ars Classica 9, lot 155 = Schweizerischer Bankverein Zürich 1, lot 52; cf. Numismatica Ars Classica 132, lot 191; otherwise, unpublished. Toned, minor pitting, some redeposited silver, minor double strike and slightly off center on reverse. VF. Extremely rare issue with this reverse type, one of three known.
From the Dr. Michael Slavin Collection, purchased from Classical Cash, 7 April 2000.
This remarkable tetradrachm is part of an issue that was unknown to Jenkins, all with a similar reverse type depicting the forepart of a man-headed bull emanating left from reeds, with a heron and altar in the foreground, and grain ear and fish in the field. The previously known examples (cited above) were struck with Jenkins's obverse die O96, securely placing the issue within his Group IX, which comprises the last tetradrachm coinage at Gela, struck from arguably the finest style dies. The present piece is struck from a different obverse die, unknown to Jenkins, which is similar to O96, but has no ethnic, and the flying eagle is replaced with a flying heron. The reverse die is also slightly different, depicting the reeds over the midsection of the forepart, giving an even more artistic depiction of the scene, where the bull is emerging from within the reeds.
The final winners of all Triton XXVI lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 10-11 January 2023.
Triton XXVI – Session One – Lots 1-334 will be held Tuesday morning, 10 January 2023 beginning at 9:00 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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