Auction 87 - Ancient Coins

Sicily, Abakainon, Litra, ca. 440-430 BC; AR (g 0,72; mm 12; h 4); Laureate head of Zeus r., Rv. Sow standing r.; on r., acorn; above, IN(retrograde)IA; in ex. ABAK. HGC 2, 10; SNG ANS 897.
Rare, toned, good very fine.

Sicily, Aitna, Litra, ca. 476-461 BC; AR (g 0,42; mm 9; h 11); Ivy-wreathed head of Silenos r., Rv. AIT - NAI, winged thunderbolt. SNG Fitzwilliam 948; SNG ANS 1239; Jameson 537; HGC 65.
Very rare, an extraordinarily well preserved specimen; dark patina, good extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 488-478 BC; AR (g 8,54; mm 20; h 1); AKRA, eagle standing l., Rv. crab within incuse circle. Westermark 180.
Cabinet tone, about extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 480-470 BC; AR (g 8,62; mm 20; h 6); AK - RA, eagle standing r., Rv. crab; below barley grain; all within incuse circle. Westermark 261.5 (O87/R180).
Cabinet tone with iridescent sparkles and well struck on reverse, extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 480-470 BC; AR (g 8,62; mm 19; h 1); AK - RA, eagle standing r., Rv. crab; below barley grain; all within incuse circle. Westermark 261.5 (O87/R180).
Cabinet tone, about extremely fine - good extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 480-470 BC; AR (g 8,73; mm 18; h 8); AK - RA, eagle standing r., Rv. crab; below barley grain; all within incuse circle. Westermark 261.5 (O87/R180).
Cabinet tone with iridescent sparkles, about extremely fine - extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 480-470 BC; AR (g 8,64; mm 21; h 9); AK - RA, eagle standing r., Rv. crab; below barley grain; all within incuse circle. Westermark 262.2 (O87/R181).
Cabinet tone, extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 480-470 BC; AR (g 8,49; mm 19; h 12); AK - RA, eagle standing r., Rv. crab; below barley grain; all within incuse circle. Westermark 262.2 (O87/R181).
Old cabinet tone, struck on a thick flan, about extremely fine - extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 480-470 BC; AR (g 9,02; mm 20; h 12); AK - RA, eagle standing l., Rv. crab within incuse circle. Westermark 278.1 (O90/R191).
Lightly toned, about extremely fine / good extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Didrachm, ca. 450-440 BC; AR (g 8,71; mm 18; h 3); AKRAC - ANTOS (partially retrograde), eagle standing l. on dotted line, Rv. Crab within shallow incuse circle. Westermark 441-442.
Rare. Lightly toned, about extremely fine / extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Hexas, ca. 440-420 BC; AR (g 0,1; mm 5); Head of eagle l.; below, A, Rv. Two pellets. Westermark 521-523 var (head l. with A).
Extremely rare and good extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, 2 Litrai - Diobol, Emergency issue to finance a desperate defence against the Carthaginian expedition, ca. 406 BC; AV (g 1,31; mm 10; h 5); AKPA, eagle with closed wings perching on rock to r., tearing at serpent; below, two pellets, Rv. Crab; below, ΣΙΛΑ - ΝΟΣ. Westermark 1014; Dewing 569; SNG ANS 998; SNG München 88; Gulbenkian 171; HGC 2, 75.
Extremely rare and good extremely fine.

Sicily, Akragas, Litra or Eighth Shekel struck under Punic Occupation, ca. 213-211 BC; AR (g 0,82; mm 12; h 4); Laureate head of Zeus r., Rv. ΑΚΡΑ / ΓΑΝ, thunderbolt. Head, HN, p. 124 (cited from Salinas); SNG Copenhagen 109.
Of the highest rarity, apparently known from only a very small number of specimens; the only one in Coinarchives. Nicely centered and uncleaned as found; about extremely fine. [Ex Nomos AG 9, 21 October 2014, lot 42]

Sicily, Gela, Litra, ca. 465-450 BC; AR (g 0,71; mm 12; h 12); Bridled horse advancing; above, wreath, Rv. ΓΕΛ - Α - Σ, forepart of man-headed bull r. Jenkins, Gela, Group III; HGC 2, 373.
Toned and good very fine.

Sicily, Gela, Litra, ca. 465-450 BC; AR (g 0,61; mm 12; h 6); Bridled horse advancing r.; above, wreath, Rv. ΓΕΛΑ, forepart of man-headed bull r. Jenkins, Gela, Group III; HGC 2, 373.
Toned and extremely fine.

Sicily, Himera, Drachm, ca. 475-470 BC; AR (g 4,28; mm 16; h 12); Cock standing l., Rv. HIME - P - AION, astragalus. SNG Lloyd 1015; Westermark, Himera: the coins of Akragantine type, Traveaux Le Rider, 127; HGC 2, 441.
Very rare; homogeneous grey patina, good very fine.

Sicily, Himera, Litra, ca. 475-450 BC; AR (g 0,73; mm 10; h 8); Bearded head r. Rv. Corinthian helmet; around, EIMEPA (retrograde), all within circular incuse. SNG ANS -; SNG Lloyd 1028; HGC 2, 447.
Rare, and among the best specimen known: good extremely fine - about fdc.

Sicily, Himera, Tetradrachm signed by MAI, ca. 409-407 BC; AR (g 17,33; mm 25; h 8); The nymph Himera driving galloping quadriga r.; Nike flying l. above, crowning her with wreath and holding plaque inscribed MAI; in ex. ketos l., Rv. HI - MEP - AION (retrograde), Himera standing facing, head l., holding phiale over altar; satyr standing facing in fountain with a lion-headed spout bathing behind her to r. Rizzo pl. XXI, 23 (these dies); Kraay-Hirmer pl. 22,71 (these dies); C.A. Biucchi, Q. Tic 17, 1988, 22 (these dies); Gutmann-Schwabacher 20 (these dies); C. Boehringer, Essay Kraay-Mørkholm, Himera im IV Jahrhundert V. Chr., pl. VII, 9 (these dies).
A superb coin of fine style, well centred and struck on a sound metal, with lustrous mirror like surfaces: virtually as struck and almost fdc.

Sicily, Himera as Thermai Himerensis, Litra, 4th century BC; AR (g 0,90; mm 11; h 6); ΘEPMITAN, head of Hera r., wearing stephane decorated with three palmettes, Rv. Herakles, seated l. on a rock draped with a lion's skin, with a club; behind, bow. Campana 2A; Jenkins, Punic pl. 22, 7 var (denomination); SNG ANS 1341.
Rare, toned, good very fine.

Sicily, Leontini, Tetradrachm, ca. 425 BC; AR (g 17,17; mm 27; h 11); Laureate head of Apollo l., Rv. LEONTINOY (around), head of roaring lion l.; around, three barley grains; behind, leaf. Boehringer, Münzgeschichte 55; SNG ANS 257.
Old cabinet tone, some typical edge splits, anyway about extremely fine - extremely fine.

Sicily, Morgantina, Litra, ca. 339-317 BC; AR (g 1,06; mm 13; h 6); Helmeted head of Athena facing slightly r.; on l., downward, MOPΓAN[...] (retrograde); on r., dolphin, Rv. Bull butting r.; on tablet below, EΓNAKPIOΣ; in ex. [...?]ΛIΣ (magistrates). Erim & Jaunzems –; Campana – (but cf. 5 for magistrate); HGC 2, –.
Extremely rare, maybe the third specimen known. Toned and a little ragged as usal, extremely fine - good extremely fine.

Sicily, Morgantina, Litra, after 334 BC; AR (g 1,12; mm 15; h 11); ENAKRIOS (retrograde), bust of Athena facing three-quarter l., wearing double-necklace and triple-crested Attic helmet, Rv. MORGANTINΩN, Heracles strangling the Nemean lion; below, club. Cfr. the second specimen known from Numismatica Ars Classica 4, 1991, lot 50: "For the obv. type (but three-quater r.), see Morgantina Studies II, 1989, pl. 1, 11-17 and for a Syracusan prototype, pl. 2, 1; for the reverse, the model may be the rare Tarentine diobol of the same period, Vlasto 1325. For a Timoleonic dating and south Italian connections, with associated issues, see again Morganitina Studies, pl. I, pp 9-14 and 31. The legend Enakrios (of the highest point = of the acropolis) may relate the coin either to a temple of Athena there, or to a garrison occupying the heights of the city".
Apparently the second specimen known. An exceptionally interesting issue; lovely iridescent tone and extremely fine.

Sicily, Motya, Litra, ca. 415-397 BC; AR (g 0,77; mm 12; h 12); Gorgoneion facing slighty to r. Rv. Palm tree; on field, 'mtv' (in Punic). SNG ANS 507 (same dies); Jenkins in SNR 50 (1971), S. 74, 4a var.
Very rare. Beautifully toned and about extremely fine.

Sicily, Segesta, Hemilitron, ca. 440-420 BC; AR (g 0,32; mm 8; h 6); Forepart of a hound to l., Rv. Σ - E - Γ - E, around large H (mark of value); all within shallow circular incuse. Hurter, Segesta, Group IIIa; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG Lloyd -.
Very rare with hound to l.; darkly toned and good very fine.