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A Victorian Copper Helmet Coal Scuttle.

A collection of eight assorted stain glass panels, to include six teardrop shape examples of various sizes length of larger examples 58cm, length of smaller example 50cm, two rectangular panels having astragal style decoration with a knights helmet and fleur-de-lys, length 92cm.

BRITISH 18th CENTURY TOKENS, Hay, Tomlinson and Orm, Copper Halfpenny, (1796), obv shield of arms of the Duke of Devonshire, crown and helmet above, AVENDO TUTIS on a ribbon below, rev semicircular row of buildings, CRESCENT below, edge BUXTON TOKEN and engrailed (Conder p.28, 1; Pye p.12, 2; Atkins p.19, 1; D&H Derbyshire 1). Nearly mint state, retaining some original colour, extremely rare, only six struck. ex Thomas Tatton Collection, Sothebys, 6 November 1911, lot 10 (part)

BRITISH 18th CENTURY TOKENS, Hay, Tomlinson and Orm, Copper Halfpenny, 1796, obv shield of arms of the Duke of Devonshire, crown and helmet above, AVENDO TUTIS on a ribbon below, rev semicircular row of buildings, CRESCENT 1796 below, edge BUXTON TOKEN and engrailed (Conder p.28, 2; Atkins p.19, 2; D&H Derbyshire 2). Minor spots, otherwise essentially mint state, the obverse attractively toned, the reverse retaining much original colour, very rare, only 30 struck.

Edwardian copper helmet shaped coal scuttle, embossed decoration, width 43cm.

Victorian copper helmet shaped coal scuttle, 43cm, a set of steel fire irons with matching andirons.

George III silver helmet cream jug with reeded border and handle (London 1786), Peter, Anne & William Bateman, together with a George V silver sugar bowl with ring handles and raised decoration (Chester 1913), William Hutton & Sons Ltd. All at approximately 5ozs, cream jug 10.5cm overall height (2)

A silver cream jug of helmet form having a reeded rim and loop handle, gilt interior and a square platform foot, London 1914, Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co Ltd, approx 112g

A Georgian silver cream jug of helmet form having band decoration with engraved cartouche and reeded handle, London 1798, John Emes, approx 165g

A silver three piece tea set of plain helmet form having reeded decoration, loop handles and fruitwood handle and knop to teapot, Chester 1923, Stokes & Ireland Ltd, approx 745g

An early 20th century copper coal helmet and a pair of brass piano sconces

A Georgian silver cream jug of helmet form having a reeded loop handle, London 1800, Robert Urquhart, approx 113g

An early-mid 20th century military helmet, in the German style

A German WWI helmet

Reproduction Medieval cavalry helmet, another reproduction helmet and a gas mask

1940's EC and C Limited military tin helmet and 1960's 70 Royal Warwickshire regimental cap

Policeman's cape with velvet collar, white metal lion's mask and chain fastener, Birmingham City police hat and Constable's helmet and truncheon with serial number S.C1363

Steel and chain-mail suit of armour by Terry English viz:- breastplate, helmet, gorget and pair chain-mail gloves, all on chrome stand (Terry English is one the world's leading armour creators including for Clash of the Titans, Gladiator, Aliens, Harry Potter, Excalibur )

A Siebe Gorman & Co Submarine Engineer's London pattern diving helmet complete with corresponding serial numbers and communication systems Live Bidding: Still has all of its bolts on the outside

An English Civil War Period Lobster Pot Helmet (Zischagge), the single piece skull with six radiating ribs, four lame articulated tail with turned edge and domed rivets, ear defences lacking, broad pointed peak with turned edge struck with a "XVII" mark to the underside, sliding nasal bar retained by a screw with a heart shaped terminal (thread worn), the upper end of the nasal-bar with leaf-shaped terminal.

A Victorian Copy of an English Civil War Period Lobster Pot Helmet (Zischagge), the single piece skull with simulated four lame tail with turned edge and domed rivets, bevelled ear or cheek-pieces with seven domed rivets, broad pointed peak with turned edge, sliding nasal bar retained by a screw with a heart shaped terminal.

A Victorian Officer's Blue Cloth Home Service Helmet to the 2nd Volunteer Battalion The Royal West Surrey Regiment, the blue cloth covered skull with white metal fittings including, rose bosses, quatre-foil mount with spike finial, QVC helmet plate with Regimental motto, chin chain with velvet backing, the interior with beige leather sweat band, red silk lining missing, maker's trade label for M. WISEMAN, Piccadilly, complete with storage tin.

A Post 1902 Other Rank's Grey Cloth Home Service Helmet to the 20th Middlesex Rifles (Artists Rifles), the grey cloth covered skull with blackened brass fittings including, rose bosses, quatre-foil mount with spike finial, KC helmet plate with Regimental motto, chin chain with leather backing, the interior with leather sweat band.

A Victorian Officer's Blue Cloth Home Service Helmet to the Devonshire Regiment, the blue cloth covered skull with gilt brass fittings including, rose bosses, quatre-foil mount with spike finial, QVC helmet plate with Regimental motto, brass chin chain with velvet backing, the interior with beige leather sweat band, red silk lining with maker's trade label for F. W. FLIGHT WINCHESTER AND ALDERSHOT, complete with storage tin.

A Victorian Officer's Green Cloth Home Service Helmet to the 2nd Royal Guernsey Militia, the green cloth covered skull with gilt fittings including, rose bosses, quatre-foil mount with spike finial, QVC helmet plate with Regimental motto, gilt metal chin chain with velvet backing, the interior with beige leather sweat band, quilted cream silk lining with maker's trade label for J. ROUGIER & SON HIGH ST GUERNSEY, complete with storage tin.

An 1871 Pattern 7th Dragoon Guards (The Princess Royal's) Trooper's Helmet, the brass skull with embossed brass laurel head band, rosette bosses, quatrefoil plume holder with black and white horse hair plume with rose terminal, the front of the helmet applied with a white metal rayed star this in turn applied with a white metal 7 on a black ground with garter surround bearing the motto HONI.SOIT.QUI.MAL.Y.PENSE, leather backed chin chain, the interior with leather liner, the rim of the neck guard stamped 7DG and with various serial numbers and sold out of service marks.

An 1871 Pattern 4th Dragoon Guards (Royal Irish) Trooper's Helmet, the brass skull with embossed brass laurel head band, rosette bosses, quatrefoil plume holder with white horse hair plume with rose terminal, the front of the helmet applied with a white metal rayed star this in turn applied with a white metal 4 on a black ground with garter surround bearing the motto HONI.SOIT.QUI.MAL.Y.PENSE, leather backed chin chain, the interior lacking its liner.

A Brass Fireman's Helmet, the two-piece brass skull with turned rim, raised embossed comb decorated with a dragon to either side, the scrolling foliage trimmed helmet plate with centered crossed axes and torch entwined with hoses, chain effect head band, rose form bosses, leather backed chin chain, leather liner.

Two 20th century glazed earthenware mask vases, with horned helmet decoration, pierced eyes to one, closed eyes to the other, 21cm and 23cm high

A yellow cork fireman's helmet with "London Fire Brigade" badge, inscribed in pen, "This is the hat that Tony Blackburn (truly!) wore directing the fire fighters from many stations at the Highfield blaze March 1997", together with two white plastic b uilder's hats, hand written quotes include, "The strength of a good leader lies in his ability to make the obvious in some way appear innovative" and one other inscribed "Highfield 97-98" inscribed "Never retreat, never explain, get it done and let t hem howl", Dr. Jowett, master of Balliol

An early 20th century copper and brass deep sea diver's helmet, engraved "Garman and Co. Ltd.", 50cm high illustrated

THIRD REICH EARLY RURAL POLICE STEEL HELMET the grey field with one visible decal, numbered 4284, with tan leather lining marked '58' and chinstrap, approximately 29.5cm long

THIRD REICH DOUBLE DECAL STEEL HELMET with brown leather lining and chin strap, 28cm long

A COLLECTION OF COPPER WARE to include a Dutch coal helmet, watering can, lidded vase etc

MIXED LOT OF BRASS AND COPPER INCLUDING A HELMET SHAPED COPPER COAL SCUTTLE, COOKING PAN, LADLE, CHESTNUT ROASTER AND OTHER ITEMS [7]

A Fine African Makonde Red Painted Helmet from the Tanzania Region with inset hair and scarification marks.

Lucania, Metapontion AR Stater. Circa 340-330 BC. Head of Athena Tharragoras right, wearing Corinthian helmet, Σ behind / Ear of barley with stalk and leaf to right upon which, trophy; Π below, META to left. Johnston A 7.13 (obverse) – A 7.15 (reverse); HN Italy 1567. 7.85g, 22mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare (only one example recorded by Johnston), particularly so in this condition, and an apparently unrecorded die coupling. Ex Dr. Roland Maly Collection, LHS 100, 23 April 2007, lot 115. The obverse portrait of this coin is traditionally identified as the unknown hero Tharragoras, following the attribution by Imhoof-Blumer. In studying the available specimens of the type (of which there were then five), he noted two with visible legends, one reading 'ΘAPPAΓOPAΣ', which he illustrated in his 'Monnaies grecques' (pl. A,2). Noting also that the portrait on this coin was 'slightly bearded', Imhoof-Blumer concluded that it therefore was not Athena, but rather an unknown hero whose name was given on the coin, and who must have been a companion or relation of Leukippos, given the contemporary nature of the two issues and the importance of the Leukippos type. That the name Tharragoras is nowhere else attested, neither in literature, sculpture nor on other coins, makes Imhoof-Blumer's identification of this portrait as an unknown hero by that name very difficult to support indeed. Strabo, who does acknowledge Leukippos (6.1), makes no mention of a Tharragoras; the 'slight beard' seen by Imhoof-Blumer is almost certainly in fact locks of hair that fall from beneath the helmet. No trace of a beard can be discerned meanwhile around the chin or jaw. Where Imhoof-Blumer inferred a connection with Ἄρρα, or Ares, we should perhaps more properly see a connection with a 'dialectic form of Θάρσω, a more ancient name for the goddess Athena (schol.IL.5.2).' 'Θάρρά' itself has connotations of 'courage', 'boldness' or 'confidence' - the intended meaning here must have been clear to the people of Metapontion and fitting for the circumstances of its issue. The companion issue (Johnston A6.11 = HN Italy 1561) allows us to positively identify the portrait as that of Athena, on account of the long feminine eyelashes that would certainly be out of place on a male hero.

Lucania, Thourioi AR Stater. Circa 400-350 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with Skylla / Bull charging right, ΘΟΥΡΙΩΝ above;fish to right in exergue. SNG ANS 1007. 7.93g, 22mm, 11h. Good Extremely Fine. Dark, old cabinet tone. Privately purchased from Edward Waddell; this coin's tone indicates it must have a much older pedigree, which we have not been able to locate.

Sicily, Morgantina AR Litra. Circa 339-317 BC. Head of Athena three quarters facing, wearing triple crested helmet / Nike seated left on rock, holding wreath in her right hand. SNG Lloyd 1125 (these dies); Morgantina studies group III, 2 (these dies); Campana 3 A/b; BMC 4. 1.05g, 12mm, 7h. Good Very Fine. Attractive old collection tone with hints of iridescence. Ex Frank James Collection.

Illyria, Dyrrhachion AR Stater. Circa 350-300 BC. Pegasos flying to right, Δ below / Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet; club and E behind, dolphin above. Pegasi 41. 8.63g, 22mm, 9h. Good Very Fine. Ex Roma Numismatics VI, 29 September 2013, lot 462.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 340-330 BC. Pegasos flying left / Helmeted head of Athena right, small Corinthian helmet without crest to left. Ravel 605 (P292/T401); Pegasi 151. 8.57g, 23mm, 8h. Extremely Fine. Usual die rust in area of Athena's face.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 400-375 BC. Pegasos flying left / Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian helmet; dolphin above, thymiaterion behind, ivy branch with five leaves below. Pegasi 324 (these dies); Ravel 835. 8.64g, 23mm, 4h. Good Very Fine, spectacular toning. Very Rare. Ex John Hayes Collection.

Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 510-490 BC. Archaic head of Athena to right, wearing crested helmet decorated with chevron pattern and spiral / Owl standing to right, head facing, olive sprig behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Seltman group L; Cf. Asyut pl. 14, 261-265; cf. Svoronos pl. 6, 8-10. 16.80g, 24mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. Engraved in very fine style, well struck and lustrous. An exceptionally beautiful example of one of Athens' earliest owl tetradrachms. Privately purchased from Gorny & Mosch. The famous Athenian 'owl' tetradrachm, unquestionably one of the most influential coins of all time, was introduced by the tyrant Hippias sometime between c.525 and c.510 BC, with van Alfen offering a date of about 515 as the most current view. The basic design would remain unchanged for nearly five hundred years, be extensively copied throughout the Mediterranean, and is today, as it was then, emblematic of Greek culture. The quality of the engraving on the early owl tetradrachms varies greatly, from the sublime to some which are very crude indeed. This disparity led Seltman to propose that those tetradrachms of fine style, such as the present piece, were issues from a 'civic' mint in Athens, while those exhibiting little talent on the part of the engravers emanated from an 'imperial' mint in the Attic or Thracian hinterlands. The dies of this particular specimen are exceptionally charming, and the engraving of the owl is especially noteworthy for its elegance. This coin is certainly one of the very best early archaic Athenian owl tetradrachms to have come to the market in the past fifteen years.

Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 500-490 BC. Archaic head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet decorated with chevron and dot pattern / Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig behind, ΑΘΕ before. Cf. Svoronos Pl. 4, 15. 17.05g, 24mm, 4h. Extremely Fine. In particularly good condition for the issue, with a full crest; struck and preserved on sound and lustrous metal. Athens was one of the few Greek cities with significant silver deposits in their immediate territory, a remarkable stroke of fortune upon which Xenophon reflected: 'The Divine Bounty has bestowed upon us inexhaustible mines of silver, and advantages which we enjoy above all our neighbouring cities, who never yet could discover one vein of silver ore in all their dominions.' The mines at Laurion had been worked since the bronze age, but it would be only later in 483 that a massive new vein of ore would be discovered that enabled Athens to finance grand new schemes such as the construction of a fleet of 200 triremes, a fleet that would later prove decisive in defending Greece at the Battle of Salamis. This coin was produced in the period before the discovery of the new deposits at Laurion, around the time of the Ionian Revolt and the subsequent first Persian invasion of Greece. Athens aided the Ionian Greeks in their rebellion against Persian tyranny with both coin and soldiers, participating in the 498 BC march on Sardes which resulted in the capture and sack of that city – the only significant offensive action taken by the Ionians, who were pushed back onto the defensive and eventually subjugated once more. Vowing to punish Athens for their support of the doomed rebellion, the Persian king Darius launched an invasion of Greece, landing at Marathon in 490 BC. Just twenty five miles from Athens, a vastly outnumbered Athenian hoplite army inflicted a crushing defeat on the Persians, who after suffering horrendous casualties turned to their ships and fled.

Macedon, Orthagoreia AR Hemidrachm. Circa 350 BC. Head of Artemis facing slightly left, with quiver over shoulder / Macedonian helmet, star above; OPΘAΓΟΡΕΩΝ around. AMNG III/2, 3; SNG ANS 563-5. 2.47g, 14mm, 4h. Good Fine - Near Very Fine. Rare. Ex Frank James Collection.

Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Kolophon, circa 319-310 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, AΛEΞANΔPOY to right, kithara and EΛI in left field. Price 1772. 8.49g, 18mm, 12h. Very Fine. Rare.

Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Struck under Ptolemy I Soter, as Satrap. Sidon, circa 315-4 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing triple-crested Corinthian helmet decorated with sphinx / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to left, filleted palm branch below right wing. Price 3505. 8.60g, 18mm, 12h. Good Very Fine.

Kingdom of Macedon, Philip III AV Stater. Abydos, circa 323-317 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis; ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ to right, monogram above serpent in right field. Price P31. 8.64g, 18mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Brilliant mint lustre.

Crete, Aptera AR Stater. Signed by Pythodoros. Circa 4th century BC. Α[ΠΤAΡΑΙΩΝ] around head of Artemis Aptera to right, with hair elaborately curled upwards around a stephane ornamented with palmettes; she wears an elaborate crescent and solar-disk pendant earring with three drops and a pearl necklace; to right in smaller letters the artist's signature: ΠΥΘΟΔΟΡΟΥ / Warrior hero Apteros, called Ptolioikos, standing facing, his bearded head left, wearing crested helmet and cuirass, holding in his left hand a spear and shield decorated with a sunburst, his right is raised towards a sacred fir tree in left field; ΠΤΟΛΙΟΙΚΟΣ around. Le Rider, Monnaies crétoises, p. 36, 269-70, pl. 9, 11-12; Svoronos, Crète, p. 15, pl. 1, 10 (same dies); BMC 1, pl. 2, 3 (same dies); BMFA Suppl. 108 (same dies); LIMC VII/1, p. 588, VII/2, sv. Ptolioikos 2 (same rev. die); for the engraver's signature see L. Forrer, Notes sur les signatures de graveurs sur les monnaies grecques, Bruxelles 1906, pp. 277-284. 11.41g, 14mm, 12. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare. Of exceptionally fine style and quality, and very well preserved for the type, which is mostly found in lamentably poor condition. From a private American collection. The stunningly beautiful obverse female portrait is that of Artemis Aptera (or Aptara as inscribed on the coins, a local form of the Cretan Artemis Diktynna), the patron goddess of the city. Before her image in small characters proudly appears the name of the artist Pythodoros, a master die-engraver who also worked at Polyrherion on the equally beautifully styled female head which has been defined as that of Britomartis, 'sweet maiden' in the Cretan dialect. Also identified as Artemis Diktynna, Britomartis in Cretan myth was caught in a fisherman's net (diktyon) while trying to escape the advances of Poseidon, and was the subject of several Cretan coin types inspired by a statue then attributed to Daedalos, who was reputed to be the father of Cretan art (cf. Le Rider pp. 114-6, 3-6 pl. 28, 19-38; Svoronos 15-16, pl. 26, 4-5; Traité pl. 261, 25; BMC 1-2). Both images are very much influenced by the Sicilian school of die engraving as epitomised by the celebrated artists such as Kimon, Phrygillos, Eukleidas, Euainetos and Eumenes. The reverse type is of no less mythological and historic interest; the warrior in question is Apteros, called Ptolioikos, a title literally meaning 'dweller in the city'. He is shown saluting a tree, a scene which can be interpreted as a rendering of what must surely be a now lost myth concerning the oiktistes or founder of the city. The fine remains of the ancient polis of Aptera or Aptara (IACP 947), the modern Palaiokastro, are situated near the Minoan site of Megala Chorapia on the south side of Suda Bay, the safest anchorage in Crete throughout Greek, Venetian and Ottoman times, and which is today an important NATO naval base. Eusebius informs us that the city was founded by an eponymous hero, Apteros in the year 1503 BC (Chronicon 44c). The first historical mention of Aptera dates from the 7th century BC when a contingent of archers is reported to have fought along with Spartans in the war against Messene (Pausanius, Description of Greece IV 20, 8). Various attemps in antiquity were made to explain the city's name: notably, that it was the site of the song contest of the Muses and Sirens. In this story the latter lost their wings in a fight that ensued after their defeat (Stephen of Byzantium sv. Aptera; 'aptera' = 'wingless'). The city's name most likely derives from one of the epithets of Artemis, Aπτερα (cf. Inscriptionis Cretae 2), similar to that of the statue in the temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis at Athens, which later took on the name of Nike Apteros, meaning 'wingless' Nike. From the fourth century BC Aptera produced coins on the Aiginetan weight standard, but by later Hellenistic times it gradually declined in favour of its powerful neighbour Kydonia and was finally absorbed by Rome in 67 BC.

Ionia, Lebedos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 160-140 BC. Stephanophoric type. Apollodotos, magistrate. Head of Athena right, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet with laurel branch above visor / Owl standing right, head facing, on club between two filleted cornucopiae; ΛEBEΔIΩN above, AΠOΛΛ-OΔOTOΣ below; all within wreath. Amandry, Tétradrachmes, Group IV, 17f (D2/R13); Kinns 30; SNG von Aulock –; SNG Copenhagen –; BMC 1; Boston MFA Sup. 170. 33mm, 16.31 g, 1h. Extremely Fine. Attractively toned. From the Ambrose Collection; Ex Coin Galleries, 19 August 1987, lot 71.

Ionia, Phokaia EL Hekte. Circa 521-478 BC. Helmeted male head to left, with frontal eye and tendril ornament on bowl of helmet; below, seal swimming to left / Rough quadripartite incuse square. Bodenstedt 50. 2.60g, 10mm. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare. This militaristic type appears to depict an anonymous warrior or hero, the latter appearing more likely considering the ornamentation of the helmet he wears. His individual features being completely obscured, leaving only his eye and nose visible, imparts a stern, solemn tone to the composition. The type may have held some special significance to Phokaia, as it is a restoration of a much earlier type (Bodenstedt 6).

Ionia, Phokaia EL Hekte. Circa 478-387 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing earring, her crested Attic helmet adorned with a Pegasos on the bowl / Irregular quadripartite incuse square punch. Bodenstedt 91 (d/δ). 2.54g, 10mm. Good Very Fine. Highly lustrous.

Ionia, Phokaia EL Hekte. Circa 478-387 BC. Crested Attic helmet to left, with seal decoration on bowl / Quadripartite incuse square. Bodenstedt -; Boston MFA -; BMC -. 2.56g, 10mm. Extremely Fine. Apparently unique and unpublished. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection.

Ionia, Phokaia EL Hekte. Circa 387-326 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with seal / Quadripartite incuse square. CNG 93, lot 391; Triton XVIII, lot 627; otherwise unpublished (but cf. Bodenstedt 111 for a similar type with serpent on helmet and seal below). 2.55g, 11mm. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, apparently only the second known. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection.

Ionia, Phokaia EL Hekte. Circa 387-326 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet; below, seal to left / Quadripartite incuse square. Bodenstedt 111; SNG von Aulock –; SNG Copenhagen 1030; Boston MFA 1913. 2.53g, 10mm. Extremely Fine.

Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 454-427 BC. Head of Athena wearing crested Corinthian helmet to right / Two confronted female heads, their faces overlapping; all within incuse square. Bodenstedt 55; HGC 6, 981; Boston MFA 1693; de Luynes 2555. 2.53g, 11mm, 1h. Near Mint State. Very Rare, Bodenstedt lists only 8 examples; CoinArchives records six, of which this is the finest by far. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection. This coin seems like a perfectly ordinary hekte when the obverse is first viewed; it is only when the coin is flipped to reveal its highly unusual reverse does the importance and novelty of the type become apparent. Employing a simple but effective form of optical illusion, the reverse appears to show the same female portrait both to the left and to the right. The design is deliberately intended to confound the eye and engage the viewer’s attention in attempting to resolve both portraits independently of the other, which is of course impossible, thus presenting the viewer with a visual paradox. The image works by confusing the brain’s figure-ground perceptual grouping process by giving it contradictory cues, thus preventing it from assigning definitive edges to the observed shapes. As a result, the human visual system will settle on one of the portraits, facing either left or right, and alternate between them. The importance of this type, both in terms of numismatic art and in the wider context of Greek art in general, cannot be understated. It is a thoroughly novel, and never to be repeated experiment in paradoxical illusion on the coinage of a Greek city-state. The Greeks were certainly familiar with the concept of a visual paradox - Plato describes the ourobouros ‘tail-devouring snake’ as the first living thing; a self-eating, circular being: the universe as an immortal, mythologically constructed entity. They were also aware of the power of illusions - Greek architects would apply a technique known as entasis in the construction of their temple columns. Columns formed with straight sides would appear to the observer to have an attenuated appearance, and their outlines would seem concave rather than straight. Therefore a slight convex curve would be built into the shaft of the column, resulting in a swelling in the middle parts, in order to correct this disagreeable trick of the eye. Why then, when they were clearly aware of the power of illusion and paradox, did Greek artists not employ such techniques? The answer most likely lies in the cultural shift away from the static representational art of the archaic period driven by new realistic and idealistic paradigms; artists now sought to demonstrate their skill through attempting to attain aesthetic perfection based on both observational study, and occasionally improvement of nature through idealisation of the subject’s features. Thus non-practical forms of optical illusion were most likely dismissed as curious, but unlikely to earn an artist everlasting fame. It was therefore left to relatively modern artists such as Oscar Reutersvärd, who created the Penrose Stairs (also dubbed the impossible staircase), and psychologists such as Edgar Rubin, who developed the familiar Rubin’s vase (sometimes known as the Rubin face or the figure–ground vase), to explore the visual and psychological implications of these images which trick the brain. The significance of this coin therefore is that it predates the work of both of the aforementioned celebrated ‘illusionists’ by well over two milennia, and demonstrates an appreciation and understanding of optical illusions as an art form, not just a necessary practical expedience.

Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 357-326 BC. Laureate head of youthful Apollo three-quarters facing / Head of an Amazon to right wearing ornamented helmet with cheek guards up. Bodenstedt 64.3; Traité II, pl. 160, 38; BMC 94, pl. 34, 8. 2.55g, 10mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, apparently the sixth known, and in exceptional state of preservation. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection. The obverse of this beautiful coin was inspired by the remarkable and widely praised ‘Parthenon Group’ tetradrachms of Amphipolis issued during that city’s short-lived war with Philip II of Macedon (see Kurt Regling, ZfN 33 (1922), p. 48, Anm. 2 and p. 60). It is a direct stylistic copy of this brief issue, which has been described as ‘the most beautiful of all the facing-head tetradrachms of Amphipolis and one of the prettiest of all ancient Greek coins’.

Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 412-378 BC. Head of Ares right, wearing crested helmet decorated with forepart of griffin / Head of Amazon right, wearing ornate helmet, in linear border within incuse square. Bodenstedt 65; HGC 6, 991; SNG von Aulock –; Boston MFA 1711; BMC 95–7; Gulbenkian 888; Pozzi 2330. 2.56g, 11mm, 5h. Near Mint State. A type that is notoriously difficult to find in anything more than heavily worn condition, this example is truly exceptional. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection.

Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 412-378 BC. Head of Ares right, wearing crested helmet decorated with a griffin on bowl / Facing Corinthian helmet, linear frame around; all within incuse square. Bodenstedt 66 = SNG von Aulock 1728 = Jameson 2245; BMC -; SNG Copenhagen -; Boston MFA -. 2.53g, 10mm, 7h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare, apparently the third known. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection.

Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 412-378 BC. Head of Ares right, wearing crested helmet decorated with forepart of griffin / Calf's head to right within incuse square. Bodenstedt -, cf. 65 for obv., cf. 56 for rev.; apparently unpublished in the standard references. 2.58g, 10mm, 4h. Extremely Fine. Apparently unpublished, possibly unique. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection.