Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 475-470 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing earring and crested Attic helmet decorated with with pellet in chevron ornamentation and four olive leaves / Owl standing to right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, A?E before; all within incuse square. Starr Group I, 8 and pl. 1, 8 (same dies); Seltman 413; Svoronos 8.4. 17.22g, 22mm, 4h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; Starr knew of only twelve coins in his Group I. From the Dr. Albert Potts collection. The coinage of Starr Group I represents the first issue struck at Athens after the resounding victory over the second Persian invasion of Greece at the climactic twin battles of Plataea and Mykale in 479. The city of Athens had been razed to the ground by Persian troops in the course of this war, and the Athenians now faced the task of not only rebuilding their homes and temples, but also immediately went on the offensive against the Persian dominions in northern Greece, Cyprus and Byzantion. In 477 leadership of the free Greek city-states would pass to Athens with the formation of the Delian League with Kimon as their principal commander. When the Athenian mint resumed operations then, the coinage retained its familiar types, but with some alterations. The helmet of Athena now displayed four upright leaves of olive, and the olive sprig on the Group I coinage unusually hangs straight down, perhaps a symbolic change, as an army regiment might lower its colours in salute or a gesture of respect for the fallen. This is also the first issue to bear the crescent symbol, which more likely represents a transient stage of the moon than a fleet formation (as has been suggested), however despite a general consensus that it probably in some way relates to victory over the Persian invaders, its true significance remains uncertain.
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Etruria, Populonia Æ 5 Units. Late 4th - 3rd century BC. Head right, wearing Phrygian helmet; V behind / Incuse cross shape, within linear border. EC I, 13.6 (O1/R1, Uncertain Central Etruria); HN Italy 87 (Uncertain Central Etruria). 2.80g, 17mm. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Satraps of Karia, Maussolos AR Tetradrachm. Halikarnassos, circa 370-360 BC. Head of Apollo facing slightly right, wearing laurel wreath, drapery around neck / Zeus Labraundos standing right, holding labrys and inverted spear; small B between left foot and spear, MAY?????O to right. Babelon, Perses 400; Traité II 94; SNG von Aulock 2359 var. (letter on rev.); SNG Kayhan 872 var. (same); SNG Copenhagen 590 var. (no letter on rev.). 15.18g, 23mm, 12h. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare with this control letter. From the Mordecai Medvin collection.
Etruria, Populonia AR 20 Asses. Circa 300-250 BC. Facing head of Metus, hair bound with diadem; X X below / Blank. EC I, 60.104 (O39, this coin); HN Italy 152. 7.39g, 21mm. Extremely Fine; of very unusual style. Very Rare. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist; This coin published in I. Vecchi, Etruscan Coinage, 2012; Ex Astarte 7, 10 October 2001, lot 12.
Probus AV Aureus. Lugdunum, AD 276. IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Probus standing left, holding sceptre and crowning trophy at base of which are two seated captives. RIC 12; Calicó 4245 (this coin); C. 863 var. (not cuirassed); Bastien 160a, c. 4.73g, 22mm, 7h. Mint State. Extremely Rare. This coin published in X. Calicó, Los Aureos Romanos (2002); Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 25, 25 June 2003, lot 565. Probus’ ascension to the throne in AD 276 occurred at an unstable time for the Roman Empire: three emperors had died over the last year, two of whom were assassinated and the third is rumoured to have been; the security of the empire was threatened by foreign invasion and Florian, the brother of the previous emperor Tacitus, had been declared emperor by the senate and army in the West in opposition to Probus in the East. Probus therefore had a difficult task ahead of him to defeat his rival for the throne and restore order to a destabilised empire. Probus had employed a Fabian strategy to defeat Florian, avoiding an outright battle and instead relying on skirmishes, the intensity of the summer heat and the discontent this caused among Florian’s army to weaken his enemy’s position. Florian was soon killed by his own forces, and Probus was confirmed as emperor by the Senate with a minimum of bloodshed. Despite the calamitous state of the Empire when Probus ascended the throne, he proved himself to be an efficient and productive emperor, defeating numerous foreign enemies and improving some parts of the areas devastated by war through engaging the army during peacetime in building projects such as growing vines in Gaul, Pannonia and Moesia. Though his rule is covered to an extent by ancient historiographers, the stories often do not match up and the picture we receive of Probus’ rule is somewhat broad and lacking in detail. However, what the sources agree on are the great military achievements of this emperor and the respect he earned both from the conquered and his own people. Unfortunately for numismatists, Probus’ coinage is more focused on emphasising the emperor’s virtus than recording specific achievements, thus making it difficult to establish a chronology or associate types with particular events. This coin, for example, celebrates the emperor’s victory over enemies unspecified. Struck in the early months of his reign, it does however depict Probus in a far more individualistic manner than his later coinage, which often tends towards being highly stylised and showing the emperor in military attire, armed and helmeted - far more so than ever before seen on imperial coinage. Though this portrait is not so militarised as later issues, the origin of this emperor and the nature of his reign is still very much explicit in the combination of a familiar trophy reverse type with the laureate and simply cuirassed bust suggestive of an emperor predisposed to war. Despite his virtues, there was little security to be found in wearing the purple during this period. A long series of civil wars had created a penchant for general-emperors, elected by the army and thereby required to repay the soldiers for their support. Further, internal divisions had left Rome vulnerable to foreign enemies with Germanic tribes attacking the upper Rhine and Danube regions and Aurelian’s Persian campaign still unresolved. Finally, the threat of usurpation was ever present; over the six years Probus was emperor, he successfully put down three revolts but was ultimately assassinated by his own soldiers in AD 282 and replaced by the commander of the Praetorian Guard, Carus.
Sicily, Naxos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 460 BC. Bearded head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath, his hair tied in a krobylos behind / Nude, bearded and ithyphallic Silenos squatting facing, head left, holding kantharos in right hand, leaning on left; NAXION around. Cahn 54 (same dies); SNG ANS 515 (same dies); SNG Lloyd 1150 (same dies); SNG Lockett 840 (same dies); Gulbenkian 230-231 (same dies); Rizzo pl. XXVIII, 2 (same dies); Jenkins 673 (same dies); SNG Fitzwilliam 1108 (same dies); Kunstfreund 95 (same dies); Kraay-Hirmer 6 (same dies); Randazzo 227-231 (all from same dies). 17.22g, 30mm, 3h. Extremely Fine, with a deep, beautiful old cabinet tone. Very Rare. Ex Hess-Divo 329, 17 November 2015, lot 20; Ex Roma Numismatics VII, 20 March 2014, lot 131; Ex James Howard (1937-2009) Collection, purchased from Credit Suisse Bern in 1983, and probably from the Randazzo Hoard of 1980. One of the great masterpieces of fifth century Greek numismatic art, and one of the most famous of all Greek coins. Produced from a single set of dies, this tetradrachm was struck in commemoration of the refoundation of the city of Naxos following the return of its citizens from their forced relocation to Leontinoi by the tyrant Hieron of Syracuse. Undoubtedly the most accomplished engraver of his time, this artist is also believed to have been responsible for the unique Brussels Aetna tetradrachm - in both cases his work is a tour de force that showcases his singular ability. On the present piece, the obverse presents us with a refined portrait of Dionysos, which though bearing distinctly archaised features such as the arrangement of the god's hair, wreath and beard, shows his eye in profile. This, combined with the god's merry expression and the deliberate extension of the design through the dotted border indicate clear progression of style away from the more formal and rigid types of previous decades. The result is, of course, the most iconic and artistically meritorious portrait of Dionysos in all of ancient coinage. Yet it is upon the reverse that the artist has worked a wonder that has earned this type such a lofty reputation as one of the most desired of all ancient Greek coins, and the most costly of all the tetradrachms. Here, the artist's composition combines handsome naturalistic musculature with a unique and inspired design of Silenos drunkenly gazing into his wine cup as he supports himself with his other hand. In choosing to depict Silenos facing the viewer, the artist not only proves his ability to render the design in adept relief and detail, he also effortlessly demonstrates an advanced understanding and application of the principle of foreshortening in Silenos' right leg and foot. It is this combination of a striking, masterful image of Dionysos with such a remarkable reverse scene that was so far ahead of its time that has led so many to acclaim it a triumph of late archaic art.
Anonymous Cast Æ As. Rome, circa 275-270 BC. Diademed head of Apollo right, I (mark of value) above; all on a raised disk / Diademed head of Apollo left, I (mark of value) above; all on a raised disk. Crawford 18/1; ICC 33; HN Italy 279. 233.57g, 66mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Rare. From a private Swiss collection, outside of Italy prior to January 2011.
Civil War, Vindex AR Denarius. Uncertain mint in Gaul, AD 68. DIVVS AVG P P, laureate head of the deified Augustus to right / PAX, clasped hands holding winged caduceus flanked by two cornucopiae. Martin A23; C. 200 and 336 (Augustus); BMCRE 304; RIC 113. 3.66g, 18mm, 5h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare – one of only five known examples. Ex Roma Numismatics VII, 22 March 2014, lot 1015 (hammer: £5,500). Often seen as a reaction to Nero's tax policy and a campaign for Gallic independence, the numismatic evidence of the revolt suggests the contrary and demonstrates that rather than having an anti-Roman agenda, Vindex was specifically anti-Neronian and anti-tyrannical. His coinage employs consistently Augustan propaganda, the example seen on this reverse type recalling the great Pax inaugurated by Augustus following his defeat of Marc Antony.
Augustus AV Aureus. Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), 18-17 BC. S•P•Q•R•IMP•CAESARI•AVG•COS•X•TR•POT•VI, bare head of Augustus right / CIVIB•ET•SIGN•MILIT•A•PART•RECVPER, triple triumphal arch, central arch surmounted by statue of Augustus driving a facing quadriga; figure on left arch holding a standard, figure on right arch holding an aquila and bow. RIC 133; C. -; BMCRE -; Calicó 194 (same dies); Thesaurus nummorum romanorum et byzantinorum iii (Vienna, 1980), 682; Banti & Simonetti IV, 58. 7.91g, 20mm, 7h. Near Extremely Fine. Of the greatest rarity - a very rare variety of an extremely rare type; only one example identified by Banti, and the only example present on CoinArchives. This coin depicts the now ruined arch of Augustus which originally stood in the Forum Romanum, spanning the road between the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Caesar. According to the literary evidence, two arches were erected in honour of Augustus in the Forum: one in 29 BC to commemorate his victory at Actium (see Cassius Dio 49.15), the other in 19 BC to celebrate the return of the legionary standards lost by Crassus to the Parthians in 53 BC (see Cassius Dio 51.19). This latter coup was of great importance to Augustus and was also commemorated on the famed Prima Porta statue found at the villa of Livia. It seems that Augustus belatedly understood that commemoration of his victory over fellow Romans at the battle at Actium was not well received by the people, but a victory over a foreign enemy which restored soldiers and standards lost in a disastrous stain upon the Roman military record would be a perfect opportunity for cementing his position as saviour of the nation. Indeed, in 1546/7 an inscription dated to 29 BC and dedicated to Augustus was found at the site of the ruins and has been linked to this triumphal arch; inscribed upon it is a clear message that Augustus through this victory was able to save the Republic - perhaps a highly exaggerated statement since the sources seem to suggest that the Parthians reacted meekly to Augustus’ show of force and chose to return the standards and captives rather than risk open war. The appearance of this arch is preserved solely through the numismatic record, as seen on this coin, without which the identification of the archaeological ruins found in the Forum would be uncertain. The remains indicate the presence of a triple arch at the spot where the ancient sources say there was an arch to Augustus, therefore this could not be the Actian Arch which was similarly preserved through numismatic representations (see RIC 267, CRI 422) as a single span arch. Since no remains of a second arch of Augustus have been found in the Forum, this has led many to conclude that this 'Parthian Arch' was an expansion or replacement of the old Actian Arch. This theory is problematic to some scholars since Augustus does not mention either arch in his Res Gestae, a list of his achievements which certainly did not withhold from self-aggrandizement, however the archaeological evidence seems clear. The present type is thus an important archaeological document, allowing for the reconstruction of an early Imperial monument which is otherwise survived only by partial travertine foundations and some marble fragments which have been set atop them in modern brick beds. The choice of imagery on the coin itself highlights the political position of Augustus at this time. He does not appear as a ruler, but bare-headed and without drapery or military attire, whereas the reverse depicts the monument dedicated to his glory with the statues atop the arch of equal height to the structure itself, allowing the recovered standards to be seen clearly and in detail as the pretext for this laudatory monument. The standards were later placed in the Temple of Mars Ultor in the Forum of Augustus which was inaugurated in 2 BC.
Kingdom of Mauretania, Juba II AR Denarius. Caesarea, dated year 42 = 17/18 AD. REX IVBA, head of Juba II in the guise of Hercules, wearing lion skin headdress; club behind / Club draped with lion's skin, bow to right; arrow and RXXXXII to left. SNG Copenhagen 585 var. (Year 41); Mazard 182 var. (same). 2.96g, 18mm, 1h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a private British collection.
Sasanian Kings, Azarmidokht AR Drachm. WYHC (Weh-az-Amid-Kavad) mint, AD 631. Bust of Khosrau II right, wearing mural crown with frontal crescent, two wings, and star set on crescent; star-in-crescents in border / Two attendants flanking fire altar with ribbons; star and crescent flanking flames; star-in-crescents in border. Göbl -; Mochiri 505; Saeedi -. 3.28g, 30mm, 3h. Near Extremely Fine; edge lightly corroded at 6 o'clock obv., otherwise good metal. Extremely Rare. The daughter of Khosrau II, Azarmidokht was queen of the Sasanian Empire in AD 631. Her ascension followed a particularly bloody period during which time her brother, Kavad II (also known as Shiruya) overthrew their father in AD 628 and killed all of his seventeen brothers before executing him. His sisters were not included in the slaughter however and following Kavad II’s death after just a few months of rule, as well as the death of four successors over the next few years including Boran, a daughter of Khosrau II, Azarmidokht took the throne. Kavad II’s massacre of the royal family had left the Sasanian Empire uncontrollable; internally, claimants for the throne including generals and aristocracy were in a state of constant conflict and externally the Turks and the Kazars saw the weakening Empire as an opportunity for invasion. Azarmidokht herself was only queen for a few months, as related by the historian Tabari. Having been offered marriage by the military governor Farrokh Hormozd, Azarmidokht reportedly had her would-be husband assassinated rather than refuse his offer. She was in turn murdered by Rostam, the son of Farrokh Hormozd. The Sasanian Empire never fully recovered from this calamitous period, and later the Sasanian dynasty fell with Yazdegerd III in AD 651. This coin pays tribute to Azarmidokht’s father, Khosrau II, perhaps to validate his daughter’s right to the throne at a time when stable government was desperately needed.
Arcadius AV Solidus. Constantinople, AD 383-388. D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / CONCORDIA AVGGGG ?, Constantinopolis, helmeted, seated facing with head right on throne ornamented with lion heads, placing right foot on prow and holding Victory on globe and spear; CONOB in exergue. RIC 47c var. (this officina unrecorded); Depeyrot 38/6. 4.49g, 21mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a central European collection; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 56, 8 October 2010, lot 482 (hammer: CHF 4,250); Ex Leu Numismatik - Numismatica Ars Classica, 26 May 1993, lot 1.
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Attic helmet, base of crest decorated with zig-zag and pellet pattern; tunny fish to left below / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 67, pl. I 20; Greenwell 25; SNG France -; SNG von Aulock -; Boston MFA 1446; Dewing -; Gillet 1053 = Kunstfreund 3 = Jameson 2171 = Weber 4971; Gulbenkian 609 (all from the same obv. die). 16.12g, 20mm. Very Fine. Very Rare. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s.
Kingdom of Pergamon, Philetairos I AR Tetradrachm. Circa 270-265 BC. Diademed head of the deified Seleukos I to right / Athena, helmeted and wearing long robes, seated to left on low throne with lion’s feet, resting her left elbow on support in the form of a sphinx, holding a transverse downward pointing spear in her left hand and resting her right on the edge of a round shield adorned with a gorgoneion standing before her; above, ivy leaf; to right, bow. BMC 28; De Hirsch 1459; Kraay/Hirmer 736; Newell 14, XVI-36a (same dies); SNG Lockett 2718 (same dies); SNG von Aulock 7451 (same dies). 17.03g, 28mm, 12h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics XI, 7 April 2016, lot 426. Philetairos began his career serving under Antigonos Monophthalmos, but after the Battle of Ipsos in 301 BC where Antigonos was killed, he shifted his allegiance to Lysimachos, who entrusted him with command of the fortress of Pergamon, and a treasury of nine thousand talents of silver (234 metric tonnes). Philetairos served Lysimachos until 282 BC, when perhaps because of conflicts involving the court intrigues of Arsinoe, Lysimachos' third wife, Philetairos deserted Lysimachos, offering himself and the important fortress of Pergamon, along with its treasury to Seleukos, who subsequently defeated and killed Lysimachos at the Battle of Korupedion in 281 BC. Seleukos himself was murdered by Ptolemy Keraunos, a brother of Arsinoe, a few months later at Lysimacheia. After the death of Seleukos, though he and Pergamon remained nominally under Seleukid dominion, Philetairos had considerable autonomy and with the help of his considerable wealth was able to increase his power and influence beyond Pergamon. His first coinage was struck under the reign of Antiochos I, the son of Seleukos, and though it proclaims his loyalty to Seleukos, the presence of his name upon the reverse must have inevitably raised suspicions about his ambitions. Nevertheless, Philetairos never went so far as to proclaim himself king, and remained loyal to the Seleukids until his death in 263. Having no children of his own, Philetairos passed the rule of Pergamon to his nephew Eumenes, who almost immediately revolted against Antiochos, defeating the Seleukid king near Sardes in 261. Eumenes was thus able to free Pergamon, and greatly increased the territory under his control. In his new possessions, he established garrison posts in the north at the foot of Mount Ida called Philetaireia after his adoptive father, and in the east, north-east of Thyatira near the sources of the river Lykos, called Attaleia after his grandfather, and he extended his control south of the river Caïcus to the Gulf of Kyme as well. Demonstrating his independence, he began to strike coins as his predecessor had done, only now the obverse portrait was that of his uncle and adoptive father Philetairos.
Greco-Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I AV Half-Unit. Circa 170-145 BC. Monogram / Horse's head to right. Unpublished in the standard references. For monogram cf. Roma Numismatics XII, 419; cf. Roma Numismatics II, 370. 0.51g, 6mm, 12h. Near Mint State. Apparently unique and unpublished. From a private British collection. This extraordinary coin can be linked to the reign of Eukratides I by the use of the same monogram that appears on his very rare gold staters. Though this monogram was also used by the Indo-Greek kingdom, notably on tetradrachms of Apollodotos I, the latter is not known to have struck coins in gold.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Didrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; MNA behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, A?E before. Roma XIV, 349; Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; Mitchiner -; SNG ANS -; N&A -, cf. 18-19 (tetradrachms); CNG E-115, 180 (misdescribed). 7.75g, 19mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; only five other didrachms of the MNA issue in CoinArchives. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
L. Roscius Fabatus AR Serrate Denarius. Rome, 64 BC. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat-skin headdress; shield behind, [L•ROSCI below] / Female standing right facing serpent; spear in left field, pellet in central field, FABATI in exergue. Crawford 412/1; RSC Roscia 3. 3.86g, 19mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine; beautiful light cabinet tone. Very rare symbols. Ex private Spanish collection.
Phoenicia, Tyre AR Quarter Shekel. Circa 450-400 BC. Dolphin leaping to right over waves, murex shell below; 'M?? GR' in Phoenician script above] / Owl of Egyptian type standing to right, crowned with crescent, carrying crook and flail; all within incuse outline. BMC -; Rouvier 1776; HGC 10, 323; Betlyon 4 corr. (denomination). 3.29g, 15mm, 7h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare, and in exceptional condition for the type. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority.
Cnaeus Pompey Junior AR Denarius. M. Poblicius, legate pro praetore. Corduba (Cordoba) mint, Summer 46-Spring 45 BC. Helmeted head of Roma right; M•POBLICI•LEG PRO•PR around / Female figure standing right, with shield slung on back, holding two spears in left hand and with right hand giving palm-branch to soldier, standing left on prow of ship; on right CN•MAGNVS•IMP upwards. Crawford 469/1e; CRI 48a; RSC 1a (Pompey the Great). 3.91g, 19mm, 8h. Near Mint State. Rare variant obv. legend arrangement. Ex private Spanish collection.
Cyprus, Lapethos AR Stater. Uncertain king, circa 425 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a floral motif on the bowl / Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress, within incuse square. Tziambazis –; Traité –; BMC –; ACGC 1094 = Boston MFA Supp. 253 = Celenderis 8a (same dies); CNG 72, lot 852 (same rev. die); Münzen und Medaillen AG XIX (5 June 1959), lot 514 (same rev. die). 11.04g, 23mm, 4h. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics XIII, 23 March 2017, lot 403; Ex collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-1990s.
Vitellius AV Aureus. January - December AD 69. A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP TR P, laureate head right / CONCORDIA P R, Concordia seated left, holding patera and cornucopiae. RIC 89; C. 17; BMCRE 8; Calicó 542; BN 51; Mazzini 17 (this coin). 7.30g, 19mm, 5h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Ex Gorny & Mosch 224, 13 October 2014, lot 473 (hammer: EUR 20,000); Ex Giuseppe Mazzini (1883–1961) Collection, Vol. 1 (Milan 1957), p. 180, pl. LXIV, 17.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Drachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Eagle standing left, head right; behind, grape cluster on vine with leaf. Roma XIV, 332; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS -; Mitchiner -; N&A -; CNG 63, 920. 3.58g, 15mm, 6h. Extremely Fine; metal void on rev. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Ionia, uncertain mint EL Stater. Circa 650-600 BC. Milesian standard. Striated type. Flattened, irregularly striated surface / Triple incuse punch, with narrow rectangular punch arranged vertically between two roughly square ones. Cf. Weidauer 5 (trite); Traité pl. I, 12 = BMC Ionia pg. 183, 1; for similar irregularly striated stater, cf. Triton VIII, 431. 14.29g, 21mm. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare, one of very few known irregularly striated staters. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s. According to Herodotus, the Lydians were the first to coin and use gold and silver as currency (Histories 1.94). This statement is supported by archaeological evidence as the earliest coins have been found in Asia Minor, in particular in Ionia and Lydia and are dated to circa 650 BC. The material of this early coinage reinforces this geographical origin; electrum, an alloy of gold and silver, naturally occurred in rivers in the region such as the Paktolos and therefore lends credence to this tradition. The earliest electrum coins were blank globules, standardised in weight to indicate value. Later, designs were added such as the striated pattern we see on this coin, in addition to punches of squares, rectangles and swastikas. The denominations of these issues, struck on the Lydo-Milesian standard which was used by most major city-states (except Phokaia and Samos who had their own weight standards), were divisions of a stater weighing about 14.15g on average, going down to a 1/96th stater (about 0.15g). The purpose of this early coinage was probably to transfer large sums of value, such as for the payment of mercenaries or land and property, as even the smallest fraction was of too great a value for everyday commerce. The striated stater is of particular importance for numismatists as it marks the birth of the obverse design. Explanations for the introduction of this type are varied: one theory is that the lines were functional as they stopped the coin from slipping in production. Joseph Linzalone (Electrum and the Invention of Coinage, 2011) somewhat fancifully suggested that the type emulates the effect of rippling water in the rivers of Lydia where electrum was found, while also highlighting that the design must be considered more than merely a result of mechanical efficiency since its use continued even after alternative elements started appearing. It seems likely though that the continued usage of such a simple type could stem from a combination of its aesthetic quality and the ease of producing its dies. Today the striated stater is extremely rare with not very many more than a dozen or so in existence. It is considered by many to be the first true coin.
Constantine II AV Solidus. Thessalonica, AD 337-340. CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA DD NN AVGG, Victory advancing left, holding palm and trophy; TSE in exergue. RIC 2; C -; Depeyrot 1/1; Biaggi 2099. 4.43g, 21mm, 12h. About Extremely Fine. Very Rare.
Romanus III AV Histamenon Nomisma. Constantinople, AD 1028-1034. +I?S XIS R?X R??NANTINM, Christ enthroned facing, wearing nimbus crown, pallium and colobium, and holding book of Gospels / ?C? bOH? R?MA??, the Virgin on right, and Romanus, bearded to left, both standing facing; the Virgin wears pallium and maphorium, and with her right hand crowns the emperor, who wears saccos and loros, and holds globus cruciger in left hand; M? between their heads. DOC 1a; Sear 1820. 4.30g, 21mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Rare variant showing the Virgin without nimbus. Ex ACR Auctions 15, 27 April 2015, lot 840.
![Kingdom of Spain, Felipe IV (1605-1665) AR Quarter Real. Madrid(?), 1643(?). [PHILIPP]VS•IIII•D[•G], bust right, between mint](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/cc72347d-a915-4657-ba47-a95300b1d467/485f28d7-f869-42bc-d359-649c314ef6c0/468x382.jpg)
Divus Vespasian AR Denarius. Struck under Titus. Rome, AD 80-81. DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS, laureate head right / Empty quadriga advancing left, car ornamented with figures and surmounted by statuette of quadriga flanked by Victories holding palm fronds and wreaths; EX SC in exergue. RIC 361 (Titus); C. 146; BMCRE 119 (Titus); BN 94 (Titus). 3.40g, 20mm, 5h. Extremely Fine. Rare. Ex Gorny & Mosch 147, 6 March 2006, lot 2047.
Leo III the Isaurian, with Constantine V, AV Tremissis. Rome, dated RY 6 (AD 722/3 or 726/7?). D NO L? P A M?L, crowned bust facing, wearing chlamys, holding globus cruciger in right hand / D NO CONSTANTI, crowned bust facing, wearing chlamys, holding globus cruciger in right hand; star to left, ? to right. DOC 80; Sear 1534. 1.31g, 15mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a private British collection.
C. Annius T. f. T. n. and L. Fabius L. f. Hispaniensis AR Denarius. Mint in north Italy or Spain, 82-81 BC. Diademed and draped bust of Anna Perenna right; C•ANNI•T•F•T•N•V•PRO•COS•EX•S•C• around; all within beaded border / Victory driving galloping quadriga right, holding reins and palm-branch; Q• above, E• below horses, L•FABI•L•F•HISP in exergue. Crawford 366/2b; RSC Annia 3a. 3.69g, 20mm, 9h. Near Mint State. Very rare variety, unusually complete and struck on a very large flan.
Dynasts of Lycia, Vekhssere I AR Stater. Circa 450-435 BC. Forepart of winged boar flying to left on round shield / Triskeles and small diskeles, F??SS? around; all within dotted border within incuse square. Traité II, 422; Vismara I, 13. 8.39g, 18mm. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Parthia(?), 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Owl standing right, head facing; prow behind, A?E before. Roma XIV, 329; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS -; H. Nicolet-Pierre / M. Amandry, "Un nouveau trésor de monnaies d'argent pseudo-Athéniennes venu d'Afghanistan", RN 1994, 36-39; Mitchiner 13a = G.F. Hill, Greek coins acquired by the British Museum in 1920," in NC 1921, 17. 16.93g, 25mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Thea Neotera Æ20. Damaskos, dated SE 280 = 33/2 BC. Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra right / Tyche seated left on rock outcropping, extending hand and cradling cornucopiae; L?? (date) to left; below, river-god Chrysorrhoas swimming to right; all within laurel wreath. Svoronos 1893; SNG Copenhagen (Syria) 419; RPC I 4783; HGC 9, 1462; DCA 497. 5.30g, 20mm, 12h. Good Very Fine; earthen repatination, some strengthening of details. Very Rare; in exceptional condition for the issue. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 108, 16 May 2018, lot 394.
Etruria, Populonia AR 20 Asses. Circa 300-250 BC. Facing head of Metus, hair bound with diadem; XX below / Octopus. EC I, 41.15 (O10/R12); HN Italy 146. 7.01g, 21mm. Very Fine; rough surfaces. Extremely Rare; the second recorded example. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm of Egypt, Alexandria. Dated RY 5 = AD 141/142. AYT K T AI? A?P ANT?NINOC C?B ?YC, laureate head right / Achilles and the Centaur Chiron walking to right, Chiron with left foreleg raised, head and human torso turned towards Achilles, holding a helmet in his left hand, his right arm across the shoulder of the young Achilles who holds a spear in his right hand and places his left around Chiron; between them billows Achilles' cloak, L? (date) in exergue. Köln 1873 (same dies); Dattari (Savio) 2505 & 8369; K&G -; Emmett 1485.5 (R5); Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 135 (this coin). 23.86g, 34mm, 1h. Very Fine. Wonderful surfaces with a dark brown patina with hints of green and red. Extremely Rare; probably the finest known specimen of the type. Ex Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection, Triton XXI, 9 January 2018, lot 164; Ex Kerry K. Wetterstrom Collection, Classical Numismatic Auctions XIII, 4 December 1990, lot 218. Numismatic artistry flourished at the mint of Alexandria during the early years of Antoninus Pius’ reign with the introduction of an ambitious range of new reverse types. This coin is a rarity of the mythological series, alongside which the Labours of Hercules and the signs of the Zodiac were also produced. The reason for these strikingly different pictorial types has been examined by J.G. Milne, who suggests that a masterful Greek artist was active for a limited time at Alexandria, producing imagery previously unfamiliar to Egypt and later copied in a less expert style (speaking specifically about the Hercules series, see Pictorial Coin-Types at the Roman Mint of Alexandria, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 39, 1943). This artist seemed to work exclusively on bronze drachms which in comparison to smaller silver and bronze denominations were naturally preferable for these new medallic designs. The childhood of Achilles was only briefly touched upon in the Homeric cycle; it is not until much later that the story is embellished and his early years described at length. That Achilles was tutored by the wise centaur Chiron was mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, not an unusual upbringing for a mythical hero as many other heroes including Herakles, Jason, Perseus and Theseus were also trained by Chiron as youths. The work which is the most descriptive in presenting Achilles' time with Chiron on Mount Pelion is Statius’ unfinished epic, the Achilleid, published in the first century AD, which also covers his time on Skyros where he was hidden by his mother Thetis, disguised as a girl so that he might avoid his fated death should he go to Troy and war. Statius expanded upon the surviving Greek sources for Achilles’ upbringing with Chiron, portraying the centaur as more than a teacher and mentor, adapting his role into that of a loving foster father. Thus Achilles, when later describing what he ate when growing up, refers to Chiron as such: “thus that father [pater] of mine used to feed me” (2.102). Statius may have been following a theme begun by Ovid some years earlier; in Fasti (5.412) Achilles laments at Chiron’s death, saying “Live, I beg you; don’t leave me, dear father [pater]!” It was perhaps with such thoughts in mind that the engraver here portrays Achilles and Chiron: the old centaur drapes his left arm in an affectionate, paternal manner across the youth’s shoulder, a gesture which Achilles reciprocates, as the two walk together. Chiron carries Achilles helmet, while Achilles himself rests his spear across his shoulder, the point of which emerges on the far side of Chiron, behind him. It may be that we are invited to see in this scene the end of a day’s training: “Already at that time weapons were in my hand... Never would he suffer me to follow unwarlike deer through the pathless glens of Ossa, or lay low timid lynxes with my spear, but only to drive angry bears from their resting-places, and boars with lightning thrust; or if anywhere a mighty tiger lurked or a lioness with her cubs in some secret lair upon the mountain-side, he himself, seated in his vast cave, awaited my exploits, if perchance I should return bespattered with dark blood; nor did he admit me to his embrace before he had scanned my weapons” (2.106-128)”.
P. Cornelius P. f. Lentulus Spinther AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Artemidoros, son of Damokrates, magistrate. Laodicea, 56-54 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents standing by decorated bow case; P LENTVLVS P F IMP in two lines above, [?]AO to left, ornate winged caduceus to right, APTEMI?OPO? ?AMOKPATOY in two lines below. Stumpf 77. 12.63g, 27mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Otho AV Aureus. Rome, January - April AD 69. IMP OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bare head of Otho right / SECVRITAS P R, Securitas standing left, holding wreath in right hand and cradling sceptre in left arm. RIC 7; C. 16; BMCRE 13; Calicó 531. 7.03g, 20mm, 6h. Very Fine; a bold portrait, struck on a very broad flan. Rare. From a private European collection. According to the accounts of Plutarch and Suetonius, Otho was one of the most reckless and extravagant of the circle of young aristocrats whom Nero called his friends. This friendship ended abruptly in AD 58 however, when Otho introduced his beautiful wife Poppaea to the emperor at her insistence. Poppaea thereupon began an affair with Nero, and having securely established her position as the emperor's mistress, she divorced Otho and had the Nero send him away as governor to the remote province of Lusitania (which is now parts of both modern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain). Otho's bitterness at his estrangement from his wife, paired with his relocation to Hispania, made him a natural ally for Galba, the governor of neighbouring Tarraconensis, in his revolt against the emperor in 68. Support for Nero waned, and the emperor fled to the villa of his freedman Phaon where he ended his life, while Galba, accompanied by Otho, marched on Rome and was declared emperor. Otho expected to be named Galba’s heir as a result of his loyalty, but when Galba nominated L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus, Otho’s disappointment manifested itself as anger. He fomented a revolt amongst the Praetorians, who murdered Galba and hailed Otho as emperor in his place on 15 January AD 69. His reign was not destined to be lengthy. Whilst he had the support of Egypt, Africa and the legions of the Danube, the legions of the Rhine supported their commander Vitellius - conflict was inevitable. Otho committed to a battle before his reinforcements from Dalmatia were able to reach him, and he suffered a defeat at the Battle of Bedriacum. Ignoring the entreaties of his generals to await his reinforcements and offer battle once again, Otho took his own life, after just three months as emperor. In a dignified speech, he bade farewell to those about him, declaring: "It is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one". His suicide was widely recognised by his contemporaries as an honourable act, and the poet Martial later wrote in his Epigrams VI. XXXII “Sit Cato, dum vivit, sane vel Caesare maior, dum moritur, numquid maior Othone fuit?” (“Cato while he lived, he was greater than Caesar himself, when he died, was he at all greater than Otho?”).
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 500-450 BC. Satyr in kneeling-running stance to left, holding in his extended right hand a tunny fish by the tail / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 122; Boston 1461; SNG France -. 16.08g, 19mm. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s.
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Head of a goat with long beard to left; tunny fish upward behind / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 48, pl. I, 49; Rosen pl. XI 184; SNG France 186; Boston MFA 1421 = Warren 1560. 16.09g, 20mm. Very Fine. Rare. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s.
Macedon, Akanthos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 430-390 BC. Phoenician standard. Lion to right, attacking bull crouching left; counter-clockwise swastika above / AKAN?ION in shallow incuse around quadripartite square, the quarters raised and granulated. Desneux –; CNG 99, 63 (same dies); New York Sale XXX, lot 83 (same dies). 13.88g, 25mm, 5h. Good Very Fine. Attractive old tone with hints of iridescence. Very rare issue unknown to Desneux, only six in CoinArchives. From a private British collection; Ex Fritz Rudolf Künker 216, 8 October 2012, lot 242.
Kingdom of Macedon, Perseus AR Tetradrachm. Pella or Amphipolis mint, circa 174-173 BC. Zoilos, mintmaster. Diademed head right / BA?I?E?? ?EP?E??, eagle with wings spread standing to right on thunderbolt, Z? (mintmaster's monogram) above, ME monogram to right, EY monogram between legs; all within oak wreath, [plough to right] in exergue. Mamroth, Perseus 4; HGC 3.1, 1091; SNG Alpha Bank -; SNG München -; SNG Saroglos -; SNG Copenhagen 1266; Bement 792; Boston MFA 720; Pozzi 982. 16.90g, 32mm, 12h. Extremely Fine; an attractive coin from the celebrated issue struck under the mintmaster Zoilos. Rare. Ex Northern California Collection, acquired from Freeman & Sear, 2003.
Etruria, Populonia AR 5 Asses. 3rd century BC. Young male head with curly hair left; V behind / Blank. EC I, 91 (O1); HN Italy 173. 1.48g, 13mm. Very Fine. Extremely Rare; one of only seven known examples, four of which are in Museum collections. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Antoninus Pius, as Caesar, AV Aureus. Rome, AD 138. IMP T AEL CAES ANTONINVS, bareheaded and draped bust right / TRI POT COS DES II, PIE-TAS across field, Pietas, veiled and draped, standing right, holding up right hand and holding acerrum in left; to right, lighted and filleted altar. RIC 454b (Hadrian); Strack 406?? (Hadrian); Calicó 1597a (same dies); BMCRE p. 371, note 1017 (Hadrian); Biaggi -. 7.11g, 20mm, 6h. Good Very Fine. Rare. Ex Monsieur Note (1910-1982) Collection, France.
Augustus Æ Dupondius of Hadrumentum, Africa. L. Volusius Saturninus, proconsul. Struck 7-6 BC. Radiate head of Sol right; trident to left, HADR to right / Bare head of Saturninus left; L VOLVSIVS SATVR around. RPC I 778; MAA 88; SNG Copenhagen 63. 15.19g, 31mm, 6h. Very Fine - Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare.
P. Cornelius P. f. Lentulus Spinther AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Attalos, son of Bianoros, magistrate. Apamea, 57-56 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents standing by decorated bow case; P LENTVLVS P F IMPERATOR in two lines above, A?A to left, two flutes to right, ?TTA??? BIANOPO? below. Stumpf 71. 12.21g, 27mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare - only one example recorded by Stumpf. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Etruria, Populonia AR Unit (?). 4th - 3rd century. Octopus / Blank. EC I, Pisae 5.27 (O3, misattributed to Pisae, this coin); HN Italy 227. 1.07g, 10mm. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist; This coin published in I. Vecchi, Etruscan Coinage, 2012; Ex VCV Collection, Roma Numismatics X, 27 September 2015, lot 15.
P. Cornelius P. f. Lentulus Spinther AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Kratippos, magistrate. Laodicea, 56-54 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents standing by decorated bow case; P LENTVLVS P F IMP in two lines above, ?AO to left, winged caduceus to right, KPATI??O? below. Stumpf 79; BMC 17 = Bunbury, NC 1883, 4m; SNG Copenhagen 494. 12.49g, 26mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare - two examples recorded by Stumpf, a further three on CoinArchives. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Drachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Eagle standing left, head right; behind, grape cluster on vine with leaf, and kerykeion above. Roma XIV, 335; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS -; Mitchiner 26d; N&A 63-64. 3.55g, 15mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Sicily, The Mamertinoi Æ Hexas. Messana, circa 264-241 BC. Laureate head of youthful Ares to right; two pellets behind head, ????? before / Athena Promachos advancing to right, holding transverse spear in her right hand and resting her left on shield set on the ground before her; MAMEPTIN?N behind. CNS I 21; SNG ANS 420-422; Särström Series X, 155; SNG Morcom 631. 8.60g, 23mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. An excellent specimen of this rare type with a wonderful, intact patina. Ex Roma Numismatics VII, 22 March 2014, lot 128 (hammer: £2,800); Ex private German collection. In 270 BC mercenaries of Italian origin who had originally been hired by Agathokles of Syracuse, seized the city of Messana by treachery. Having been offered shelter by the inhabitants of the city, they butchered their hosts as they slept and took the womenfolk for themselves. Renaming themselves the Mamertines after the Oscan god of war Mamers, the mercenaries held the town for twenty years, during which time they became pirates on land and sea, raiding and pillaging nearby settlements, and preying on unwary trade ships. Eventually Hieron II, tyrant of Syracuse, resolved to deal with the threat by force; the Mamertines however invoked the protection of a nearby Carthaginian fleet, and later (uncomfortable under the Carthaginian protection) formally requested to be allowed under the protection of Rome. Though initially unwilling to come to the aid of such despicable fellows, the Romans did not wish to see Carthaginian influence come so close to Italy, and so consented. Syracuse in response allied itself with Carthage, and the series of events that would lead to the First Punic War were thus set in motion.
Ionia, Phokaia EL 1/24 Stater. Circa 560-545 BC. Head of roaring lion left; to right, small seal upwards / Incuse square punch. Bodenstedt 13; Boston MFA 1904; SNG von Aulock -. 0.64g, 7mm. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; only two examples recorded by Bodenstedt, both in public collections, a further six in CoinArchives.
Dynasts of Lycia, Kuprilli AR Stater. Circa 480-440 BC. Forepart of griffin to right, head left / Triskeles, KO?P??E around; all within dotted border within incuse square. Mørkolm-Zahle 103 var. (legend arrangement); Traité II, 255 var. (same); Savoca Numismatik 13, 270 (same dies). 8.79g, 19mm. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Parthia(?), 'Athenian Series' AR Didrachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Owl standing right, head facing; behind, prow and grape bunch on vine with leaf, A?E before. Roma XIV, 331; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45. 8.03g, 20mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Marc Antony AR Denarius. Mint moving with Antony, 37 BC. M•ANT•AVGVR•III•VIR•R•P•C, bare head right / IMP-TER, trophy with curved sword attached to right arm and figure-of-eight shield attached to left; at its base, two spears and two round shields. Crawford 536/1; Antonia 76; Sydenham 1203; CRI 269; RSC 16. 4.08g, 20mm, 4h. Mint State. Very Rare, and in exceptional condition for the type.
Etruria, Populonia AR 10 Units. Circa 425-400 BC. Head of Metus facing, hair bound in diadem; below, X / Blank. EC I, 8.37-45 (O6). 7.75g, 23mm. Good Very Fine. Very Rare; only 10 examples of this die recorded in EC. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Kyrenaika, Kyrene AR Tetradrachm. Circa 450-420 BC. Silphium plant with two pairs of leaves and five umbels; at base of stem, two tiny leave to [left] and right / Head of Zeus Ammon to right, hair secured in a plait, with dotted neck truncation; KYP before, all within circular torque-like border. BMC -, cf. 42-43, pl. V, 16-17; Traité III -; SNG Copenhagen -; Delepierre -; McClean -; Boston MFA -; Jameson -. 17.40g, 26mm, 4h. Extremely Fine; wonderful, lustrous metal. Extremely Rare. From the Dr. Albert Potts collection; Acquired privately in Paris, 1967. Kyrene was founded in 631 BC by Dorian settlers from Thera and their leader Battos, as instructed by the Delphic oracle. Around a hundred years later as the city grew in prosperity to rival even Carthage, Kyrene began issuing silver coins of archaic style on small, thick modules. Virtually all of the coins of Kyrene display the badge of the city and the principal source of its wealth - the silphium plant. It was described as having a thick root, a stalk like fennel, large alternating leaves with leaflets like celery, spherical clusters of small yellow flowers at the top and broad leaf-like, heart-shaped fruit called phyllon. The plant was valued in ancient times because of its many uses as a food source, seasoning for food, and, most importantly, as a medication. Perfumes were made from the flowers, the stalk was used for food or fodder while the juice and root were used to make a variety of medical potions. Aside from its uses in Greco-Roman cooking (as in recipes by Apicius), the many medical applications of the plant included use to treat cough, sore throat, fever, indigestion, aches and pains, warts, and it has even been speculated that the plant may also have functioned as a contraceptive, based partly on testimony from Pliny. The plant only grew along a narrow coastal area, about 125 by 35 miles. Much of the speculation about the cause of its extinction rests on a sudden demand for animals that grazed on the plant, for some supposed effect on the quality of the meat. Overgrazing combined with over harvesting and climate change led to its extinction. Pliny reported that the last known stalk of silphium found in Kyrenaika was given to the Emperor Nero as a curiosity. The city never recovered from the extinction of its principal export, and economic decline combined with a series of devastating earthquakes led to the abandonment of the city in the 4th Century AD. The syncretic god Zeus Ammon, depicted on the obverse of this coin, combines the Greek Zeus with the Egyptian king of gods, Amun-Ra, who was often shown in Egyptian art with a ram's head. Zeus Ammon was also especially worshipped in Sparta and Thebes, both of which are recorded by Pausanias as having temples to the god (see his Description of Greece 3.18.3 and 9.16.1). The oracle was famed in later times for being visited by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and later Hannibal.
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