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Lucania, Metapontion AR Stater. Circa 400-340 BC. Head of Demeter right, wearing pendant earring and
In Auction XI
Description
Lucania, Metapontion AR Stater. Circa 400-340 BC. Head of Demeter right, wearing pendant earring and necklace / Ear of barley with leaf to right, upon which ΞΩ; META to left. Antikenmuseum Basel 145 (this coin); Noe-Johnston 507; HN Italy 1538. 7.89g, 22mm, 10h. Extremely Fine; die break on rev. Beautiful old cabinet tone. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 64, 17 May 2012, lot 632; Ex Antikenmuseum Basel & Sammlung Ludwig, Numismatica Ars Classica 13, 8 October 1998, lot 145; Exhibited at the Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig in Basel in 1988. Metapontion was among the first cities of Magna Graecia to issue coinage, and indeed long preceded its later rival Tarentum in this respect. The choice of the barley ear as the civic emblem is unusual in that the other cities of Magna Graecia all struck coinage displaying types relating to their foundation myths or principal cults. Metapontion's choice may well reflect a significant economic reliance on its major export, a hypothesis supported by the preponderance of Demeter portraits on its later coinage, a convention seemingly broken only in exceptional circumstances, such as the occasional Hygeia issue that was probably elicited by concern over pestilence, flooding or drought. The city's reliance on its agricultural exports made it particularly vulnerable to the increasing barbarian attacks in the fourth century that eventually caused Tarentum to request the assistance of the Epeirote king Alexander in driving the aggressive Lucani and other tribes back into the interior. It was this period of strife that caused the only significant variation in the coinage of Metapontion - the new demands placed on the city by the war against the Lucani and its support for Alexander of Epeiros' campaign are undoubtedly the cause of the sudden rise in output of the mint, as well as the hasty overstriking of Pegasi. It was at this time that militaristic types were introduced, engraved in double relief, depicting the helmeted portraits of the city's founder Leukippos, along with the deities Zeus, Athena 'Tharragoras', Apollo and Herakles - a fitting series of coinage for a Hellenic city threated by barbaric aggressors. Indeed it is not coincidental that the contemporary issues at Tarentum similarly allude to war, depicting Taras armed, the horseman armed, and sometimes accompanied by Nike. It is also probable that the appearance of the same signatures, notably KAL and API, represent a coordination of defence efforts at a federal level, rather than an artist's signature as is often suggested. It has been often suggested that the head of Demeter on this coin draws heavily for inspiration on the Arethusa portraits by Euainetos on the dekadrachms of Syracuse. Indeed, with the only exception being that Euainetos’ Arethusa wears a wreath of reeds, the images are so similar that this influence seems certain – the hair, in particular, is virtually identical in style. Returning Italian Greek mercenaries would have brought these coins home with them, and evidently they had a strong influence on the local die engravers.
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Lucania, Metapontion AR Stater. Circa 400-340 BC. Head of Demeter right, wearing pendant earring and necklace / Ear of barley with leaf to right, upon which ΞΩ; META to left. Antikenmuseum Basel 145 (this coin); Noe-Johnston 507; HN Italy 1538. 7.89g, 22mm, 10h. Extremely Fine; die break on rev. Beautiful old cabinet tone. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 64, 17 May 2012, lot 632; Ex Antikenmuseum Basel & Sammlung Ludwig, Numismatica Ars Classica 13, 8 October 1998, lot 145; Exhibited at the Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig in Basel in 1988. Metapontion was among the first cities of Magna Graecia to issue coinage, and indeed long preceded its later rival Tarentum in this respect. The choice of the barley ear as the civic emblem is unusual in that the other cities of Magna Graecia all struck coinage displaying types relating to their foundation myths or principal cults. Metapontion's choice may well reflect a significant economic reliance on its major export, a hypothesis supported by the preponderance of Demeter portraits on its later coinage, a convention seemingly broken only in exceptional circumstances, such as the occasional Hygeia issue that was probably elicited by concern over pestilence, flooding or drought. The city's reliance on its agricultural exports made it particularly vulnerable to the increasing barbarian attacks in the fourth century that eventually caused Tarentum to request the assistance of the Epeirote king Alexander in driving the aggressive Lucani and other tribes back into the interior. It was this period of strife that caused the only significant variation in the coinage of Metapontion - the new demands placed on the city by the war against the Lucani and its support for Alexander of Epeiros' campaign are undoubtedly the cause of the sudden rise in output of the mint, as well as the hasty overstriking of Pegasi. It was at this time that militaristic types were introduced, engraved in double relief, depicting the helmeted portraits of the city's founder Leukippos, along with the deities Zeus, Athena 'Tharragoras', Apollo and Herakles - a fitting series of coinage for a Hellenic city threated by barbaric aggressors. Indeed it is not coincidental that the contemporary issues at Tarentum similarly allude to war, depicting Taras armed, the horseman armed, and sometimes accompanied by Nike. It is also probable that the appearance of the same signatures, notably KAL and API, represent a coordination of defence efforts at a federal level, rather than an artist's signature as is often suggested. It has been often suggested that the head of Demeter on this coin draws heavily for inspiration on the Arethusa portraits by Euainetos on the dekadrachms of Syracuse. Indeed, with the only exception being that Euainetos’ Arethusa wears a wreath of reeds, the images are so similar that this influence seems certain – the hair, in particular, is virtually identical in style. Returning Italian Greek mercenaries would have brought these coins home with them, and evidently they had a strong influence on the local die engravers.
Auction XI
Sale Date(s)
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AUCTION XI
7 April 2016
10:00 Greek Coins
14:00 Roman, Migration Period, Byzantine and World Coins
Location:
The Electra Room
The Cavendish Hotel London
81 Jermyn Street
London
SW1Y 6JF
United Kingdom
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