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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.

Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 360-340 BC. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet / Facing lion-scalp facing, square linear frame around; all within incuse square. Bodenstedt 72; SNG von Aulock 1705. 2.56g, 10mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare, and possibly the finest known. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection.

Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 375-325 BC. Head of Athena three-quarters facing, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet, earring, and pearl necklace / Head of Hermes right, chlamys around shoulders and petasos behind neck, within linear frame. Bodenstedt 86 (g/ι). 2.55g, 11mm, 6h. Extremely Fine, exceptional for the issue. Highly lustrous metal.

Etruria, Populonia AR 20 Asses. 3rd century BC. Head of Menvra facing three-quarter left, wearing three-crested helmet, earring and necklace, X either side of head / Etruscan legend 'pvplvna' around star of four rays and crescent. EC I, 67.16 (O1/R1, this coin); HN Italy 157-158; Sambon 65. 8.47g, 25mm. Very Fine. Very Rare; one of only eleven examples in private hands. From the VCV Collection.

Mysia, Kyzikos EL Hekte. Circa 550-500 BC. Bearded head of Poseidon to left, wearing a helmet in the form of the head of a sea monster; below, tunny fish to right / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze -; cf. Hurter & Liewald, SNR 81 (2002), p. 28, no. 17; SNG Aulock 7291. 2.63g, 11mm. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. The male head on this coin has been variously identified as a nameless hero, Perseus wearing a griffin skin helmet, or Herakles wearing a lion skin. Other specimens of the type have revealed that the helmet in fact bears a fin-like crest and pointed ears (which on the present coin are off the flan). It has therefore seems that the headdress is actually in the form of a ketos, one of the familiar sea monsters of Greek myth which is most frequently seen on Sicilian coinage, in particular that of Katane and Syracuse. Given that the bearded head is less likely to represent Perseus (who appears beardless, as on von Fritze 65) it could well be Herakles, who killed a ketos in the course of rescuing the Trojan princess Hesione, daughter of Laomedon and sister of Priam. According to some versions of the myth, Herakles was swallowed whole by the monster, and slew it by hacking at its innards for three days until it died, by which time he had lost all his hair. Perhaps during the course of this contest, Herakles temporarily misplaced his trademark lion skin headdress, and resorted to covering his baldness with a nice ketos skin hat. We must bear in mind however that Kyzikene electrum is more frequently influenced by religion (and, it has been supposed, by cult images in particular) than by myth, and so we must look elsewhere for a positive identification - given the marine monster, Poseidon is a prime candidate. Although the god is more frequently encountered with a trident attribute to facilitate identification, a ketos headdress attribute is also appropriate. F. Catalli (Monete Etrusche, Roma 1990, p. 90) included in his work an image of the remarkable Volterra kelebe which depicts a very similar god head wearing a ketos, which though formally identified as Hades, must in fact be Poseidon due to the presence on the one side of a marine monster, and on the other of a bridled horse – both symbols of the God of the Sea. This identification is confirmed by the Etruscan coinage – see Vecchi, Etruscan Coinage I, part 1 pp. 319-321, nos. 2-4 – on these coins we find an identical head identified as Nethuns (Neptune-Poseidon), paired with a reverse showing a hippocamp and border of waves.

Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian helmet; tunny fish behind / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 63; Boston 1432. Gulbenkian II, 608. 16.12g, 20mm. Extremely Fine. Very Rare.

Mysia, Pergamon Æ17. Circa 133-27 BC. Helmeted head of Athena right / Trophy consisting of helmet and cuirass. SNG France 1875-9; SNG Copenhagen 393-5. 5.27g, 17mm, 12h. Dark green patina, Good Very Fine.

Dynasts of Lycia, Kherei AR Stater. Uncertain mint, circa 410-390 BC. Helmeted head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves and spiral / Forepart of Lamassu to right; ẼERẼI (sic, in Lycian) before; all within incuse square. Mørkholm & Zahle II -; Falghera -; Traité -; BMC Lycia -; SNG Copenhagen Suppl. 453 (same dies); SNG von Aulock -. 8.46g, 19mm, 11h. Struck from a worn obv. die, but otherwise Extremely Fine. Rare. This coin bears a very attractive depiction of the forepart of a lamassu, an ancient Assyrian protective deity with the head of a man, the body of an ox (sometimes a lion), and the wings of a bird. First appearing in Assyria during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser I (circa 1114–1076 BC) as a symbol of power, the lamassu motif was used extensively by the Assyrians; typically, lamassu were prominently placed as guardians at the entrances of cities and palaces.

Dynasts of Lycia, Kherei AR Stater. Uncertain mint, circa 410-390 BC. Helmeted head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves and spiral / Forepart of Lamassu to right; ẼERẼI (sic, in Lycian) before; all within incuse square. Mørkholm & Zahle II -; Falghera -; Traité -; BMC Lycia -; SNG Copenhagen Suppl. 453 (same dies); SNG von Aulock -. 8.50g, 20mm, 7h. Struck from a worn obv. die, otherwise Very Fine.

Dynasts of Lycia, Zagaba AR 1/3 Stater. Circa 400-380 BC. Lion's scalp facing / Head of Athena, facing three-quarter to left, wearing elaborate necklace and crested and plumed helmet; Lycian script around. Podalia 14. 2.85g, 18mm, 10h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare.

Lycia, Kadyanda AR Stater. Time of dynast Kheriga, circa 410-400 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing plain Attic crested helmet with raised cheek guard / KHADAVAVTUNE (Lycian), head of Hermes left, wearing lion' skin, kerykeion behind, all within incuse square. Traité 415 pl. 101; Peus sale 407, 765. 11. 7.97g, 21mm, 7h. Very Fine. Extremely Rare.

Lycia, Xanthos AR Stater. Circa 400-370 BC. Head and forepaw of roaring lion right with protruding tongue / Head of Athena right, wearing plain Attic crested helmet with raised cheek guard, diskeles above, all within round incuse. Traité 501 pl. 104, 21; Fellows pl. 18, 4. 8.24g, 22mm, 6h. Very Fine.

Southern Arabia, Qataban AR Hemidrachm. Unknown ruler(s). Timna, circa 350-320/00 BC. Imitating Athens. Head of Athena right, Γ on cheek, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor / Owl standing right, head facing; [olive sprig] and crescent behind, Royal Qatabanian monogram, composed of South Arabian letters h and l, and ÅQE to right. Munro-Hay p. 71, 1.0aii, pl. 48, 30-32; HGC 10, 711. 1.98g, 11mm, 9h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.

Southern Arabia, Qataban AR Hemidrachm. Unknown ruler(s). Timna, circa 350-320/00 BC. Imitating Athens. Head of Athena right, Γ on cheek, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor / Owl standing right, head facing; [olive sprig] and crescent behind, Royal Qatabanian monogram, composed of South Arabian letters h and l, and ÅQE to right. Munro-Hay p. 71, 1.0aii, pl. 48, 30-32; HGC 10, 711. 2.00g, 11mm, 9h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.

Seleukid Kings of Syria, Seleukos I Nikator AV Stater. Babylon, circa 311-300 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, MI at feet to left, monogram in wreath to right; BAΣIΛEΩΣ to left, AΛEΞANΔPOY to right. Price 3748; Müller 731. 8.56g, 17mm, 5h. Good Extremely Fine. Brilliant mint lustre.

Seleukid Kings of Syria, Seleukos I Nikator AV Stater. Babylon, circa 311-300 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, MI at feet to left, monogram in wreath to right; BAΣIΛEΩΣ to left, AΛEΞANΔPOY to right. Price 3748; Müller 731. 8.58g, 18mm, 10h. Extremely Fine. Brilliant mint lustre.

Greco-Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I 'the Great' AR Tetradrachm. Circa 171-145 BC. Diademed and draped bust right, wearing helmet adorned with bull's horn and ear / ΒAΣΙΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY EYKPATIΔOY, the Dioskouroi on horseback to right, holding palms and lances; monogram to lower left. Mitchiner 177aa; cf. Bopearachchi 6I (curved legend); Bopearachchi & Rahman 239; SNG ANS -. 15.67g, 34mm, 11h. Fleur De Coin. Extremely Rare. From the Ambrose Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics II, 2 October 2011, lot 373. Only two examples of this extremely rare variety with a horizontal legend have been seen on the market in the last decade, and the present specimen is remarkably preserved, whereas the other was in relatively poor condition. The type is known from perhaps as few as half a dozen examples, if that. Struck from dies of a fine and elegant style on a remarkably large flan, this coin has a truly medallic appearance, and is preserved in excellent condition. This is one of the great rarities of Eukratides' coinage. Eukratides The Great was one of the last but most important Greco-Baktrian kings, responsible for the overthrow of the Euthydemid dynasty and for waging numerous campaigns against the Indo-Greek kings, temporarily holding territory as far east as the Indus. By the range, quantity and quality of his coinage, which included the above mentioned medallion, we can surmise that his was a reign of considerable significance and prestige. Eukratides was murdered on his way home from India, apparently by his son, who hated his father so much that he 'ran with his chariot over the blood of his father, and ordered the corpse to be left without a sepulture' (Justin XLI,6). The subsequent civil war between rival members of the dynasty, combined with external pressures from the Indo-Greeks, Sogdians and Parthians led to the ultimate collapse of the Greko-Baktrian Kingdom a mere fifteen years later, when it was conquered by the Parthians under Mithradates.

Greco-Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I 'the Great' AR Tetradrachm. Circa 170-145 BC. Diademed and draped bust right, wearing helmet adorned with bull's horn and ear / ΒAΣΙΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY EYKPATIΔOY, the Dioskouroi on horseback to right, holding palms and lances; monogram to right. 599. Mitchiner 177ee; Bopearachchi 203 ser. 6E. 16.99g, 36mm, 12h. Mint State. Struck on a massive flan of medallic proportions; well centred with full borders.

Indo-Greek Kingdom, Menander I Soter AR Drachm. Circa 155-130 BC. Diademed and draped bust right, wearing crested helmet with bull's horn and ear, BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ MENANΔPOY / Athena Alkidemos advancing left, shield decorated with aegis over arm, hurling thunderbolt; monogram to right; Karosthi inscription around. Mitchiner 218b; Bopearachchi 16I; SNG ANS 879-92. 2.48g, 17mm, 12h. Fleur De Coin.

Indo-Greek Kingdom, Philoxenos Aniketos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 125-110 BC. BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANIKHTOY ΦΙΛOΞENOY, diademed heroic bust left, seen from behind, wearing crested helmet, aegis on shoulder and brandishing spear with right hand / 'Maharajasa apadihatasa Philasinasa' in Kharosthi, Philoxenos, in military attire, on horse rearing right; Σ and monogram to upper left. Mitchiner 343c; Bopearachchi 9C; SNG ANS 1198. 9.75g, 27mm, 12h. Near Mint State. Lustrous; superb metal quality for the issue. Extremely Rare.

Roman Republic AV 60 Asses. Circa 211-207 BC. Bearded and draped head of Mars right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet; LX (mark of value) below / Eagle standing to right on thunderbolt with spread wings; ROMA below. Bahrfeldt 4; Sydenham 226; Crawford 44/2. 3.38g, 14mm, 4h. Good Extremely Fine. From the Ambrose Collection.

Anonymous AR Denarius. Rome, after 211 BC. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet decorated with head of griffin; X (mark of value) behind / The Dioscuri on horseback riding to right with lances couched, stars above; ROMA in linear frame below. Crawford 53/2; Sydenham 229. 3.81g, 20mm, 9h. Good Extremely Fine. Beautiful, delicate style; attractive old cabinet tone. From the Ambrose Collection.

C. Poblicius Q. f. AR Serrate Denarius. Rome, 80 BC. Draped bust of Roma right, helmet decorated with corn ears and control mark above head, ROMA behind / Hercules strangling the Nemean lion, club at his feet, bow and arrow on left, C. POBLICI. Q. F on right. Poblicia 9; Crawford 380/1; Sydenham 768. 3.88g, 18mm, 9h. Extremely Fine, attractively toned. From the Andrew McCabe Collection; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 78, 26 May 2014, lot 1968.

M. Plaetorius M. f. Cestianus AR Denarius. Rome, 67 BC. Bust of 'Vacuna' right, wearing a wreathed and crested helmet, bow and quiver on shoulder; cornucopiae below chin; CESTIANVS behind; S•C before / Eagle standing right on thunderbolt, head left; M• PLAETORIVS M•F•AED•CVR around. Crawford 409/1; Sydenham 809; Plaetoria 4. 3.90g, 19mm, 5h. Extremely Fine. Attractively toned.

Sextus Pompey AR Denarius. Uncertain mint in Sicily (Catania?), 42-40 BC. MAG PIVS IMP ITER, diademed and bearded head of Neptune right; trident over left shoulder / Naval trophy set on anchor, top of trident visible above helmet; the arms composed of the stem of a prow in right and aplustre in left; two heads of Scylla at base; PRAEF CLAS ET ORAE MARIT EX S C around. Crawford 511/2a; RSC 1a; Sydenham 1347; Sear 333. 3.60g, 18mm, 12h. Usual flatness from striking, otherwise Good Extremely Fine. Beautifully toned and superb for the issue. It has been remarked that the coinage of Sextus Pompey was a step towards the propagandistic issues of the Roman emperors. Having decided upon an affinity with Neptune, he minted a series of coins depicting the god and continuing his theme of pietas. This virtue was highly valued in Roman society; the city's founder Aeneas' epithet is pius and tradition details that his piety was three-fold; to his father, his homeland and the gods. Pompey was not the only imperator to draw upon the Aeneas myth on his coinage (see Crawford 458/1), however he was unique in commandeering a theme and using it repeatedly. His earliest denarii feature a personification of the goddess Pietas (Crawford 477/1a), but references become subtler and more complex on later issues as per the present example. Here, Pompey Magnus is remembered within the obverse legend, with Pietas also explicitly referenced. Sextus Pompey does not allow us to forget that it was the Senate who declared him praefectus classis et orae maritima, tying his patriotism in neatly. This military title lends itself obviously to Neptune, whose portrait is displayed on the obverse. The naval trophy not only alludes to Pompey's naval victories but also to his piety towards Neptune to whom he is reported to have sacrificed 100 bulls and in whose honour a live horse was flung into the sea, along with an offering of gold (Florus 2.18.3).

Augustus AR Denarius. Q. Rustius, moneyer. Rome, circa 19 BC. Q RVSTIVS FORTVNAE, jugate busts of Fortuna Victrix wearing round helmet and Fortuna Felix, diademed, ANTIAT in exergue / CAESAR AVGVSTO, ornamented rectangular altar inscribed FOR RE, EX SC in exergue. RIC 322. 3.79g, 19mm, 3h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare.

Magnia Urbica Æ Antoninianus. Ticinum, August AD 283. MAGNIA VRBICA AVG, diademed and draped bust right, set on crescent / VENVS CELEST, Venus standing left, holding helmet and sceptre; shield at side; SXXIT. RIC 347; Pink VI/2 p. 29. 3.14g, 22mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Traces of original silvering.

Etruria, Populonia Æ Triens. Late 3rd century BC. Head of Menvra right, wearing Corinthian helmet, •••• below / Etruscan legend 'pvplvna', owl facing with wings spread, •••• between; countermarked crescent over line with two pellets. EC I, 133.26 (this coin); HN Italy 184; Sambon 114. 20.14g, 30mm, 11h. Very Fine, weakly struck. Rare. From the VCV Collection. The main bronze issues are made up of various denominations tariffed in unciae (represented by pellets) on a weight standard based on a nominal bronze as of 81g which was extant in Rome after the post-semilibral phase of c. 215-212 BC (Crawford 1974, 41).

Etruria, Populonia Æ Sextans. Late 3rd century BC. Head of Menvra right, wearing Corinthian helmet, •• above / Etruscan legend 'pvplvna', owl facing standing right on two pellets, crescent above. EC I, 135.48 (same dies); HN Italy 186; Sambon 117. 14.75g, 26mm, 1h. Very Fine. Rare. From the VCV Collection.

Etruria, Populonia Æ Sextans. Late 3rd century BC. Head of Menvra right, wearing Corinthian helmet, •• above / Etruscan legend: 'pvplvna', owl facing standing right on two pellets, crescent above. EC I, 135.81-4 (same dies); HN Italy 186; Sambon 117. 10.58g, 26mm, 11h. Very Fine. Rare. From the VCV Collection.

TERESHKOVA VALENTINA: (1937- ) Russian Cosmonaut, the first woman to have flown in space. Signed 4 x 7 photograph of Tereshkova in a head and shoulders pose wearing her spacesuit and helmet. Signed in black ink with her name alone to the lower white border. One extremely small, minor smudge to one letter. A few very minor, light corner creases, VG

Antique style steel mini Maximillian helmet on a wooden plinth. C 18 cm high WE CAN PACK & SHIP THIS WORLDWIDE

A WWII German paratroopers helmet with lining and straps together with an American helmet.

A German military steel helmet, a gas mask, two caps and a Russian military hat together with various bayonets and knives, etc.

A 17th Century Spanish style half armour and helmet