A Beautiful Example

Sicily, Akragas AR Tetradrachm. Circa 460-450/445 BC. Sea eagle standing to left, with wings closed; AKPACANTOΣ (partially retrograde) around / Crab within shallow incuse circle. Westermark, Coinage 371 (O9/R32); SNG ANS 964-80; HGC 2, 78. 17.33g, 26mm, 1h.

Good Extremely Fine; well detailed and attractive example.

According to Thucydides, Akragas was founded by colonists from Gela and Rhodes in around 582-580 BC (History of the Peloponnesian War, 6.4). The last of the great Greek cities in Sicily to be established, Akragas was situated in a highly favourable location on a plateau overlooking the sea, with a constant supply of water from two nearby rivers, the Akragas (for which the city was named) and the Hypsas. The city’s position benefited it greatly, and it quickly became one of the wealthiest Greek colonies on the island, eclipsing neighbours Gela and rivalling even Syracuse.

Under the reign of the tyrant Phalaris (circa 570-554), who Aristotle tells us had seized power in the city after having been entrusted with the building of the temple of Zeus on the citadel (Politics, v.10), the city attained considerable prosperity. Along with expanding his territory through military victories against the indigenous Sikanians, Phalaris also managed to secure favourable trade agreements with Sicilian neighbours and also the great Mediterranean power of the time, Carthage. Such deals allowed the Akragantines to embark on an extensive building program, which saw the construction of intimidating defensive fortifications and grand public buildings. Yet for all this, Phalaris was renowned for his cruelty and sadistic tendencies, which supposedly included cannibalism. His notorious reputation is etched in legend, as it was he who commissioned the so-called ‘Brazen Bull’, a hollow bronze statue invented by the sculptor Perillos of Athens as a novel way to execute criminals, in which the victim would be placed, before a fire was set below the statue. A complex system of tubes converted the victim’s screams into the sounds of a bellowing bull. Perillos, expecting a reward for his service, was instead thrown into the bull to test it. More tyrants followed before a democracy was established in 473, most notable of whom was Theron (who ruled 489-472), who played a critical role in the joint Syracusan and Akragantine victory over the Carthaginians at the Battle of Himera in 480, an event which led to the crippling of Punic power in Sicily for many decades.

Silver civic coinage was struck at Akragas relatively early, from at least the end of the sixth century BC, with the iconic eagle and crab types emerging almost immediately: the eagle being sacred to Zeus, to whom a vast temple was dedicated on the city’s ‘hill of Athena’, and the crab being a popular local delicacy harvested from the rivers located nearby. The duo continued to feature on Akragantine coinage throughout the fifth century, with the depictions of the eagle(s) in becoming ever more elaborate and impressive (see HGC 2, 81-2), before the crab gave way to Nike/quadriga types just before the turn of the century, a clear indication of the influence of contemporary Syracusan coinage.

Sicily, Himera AR Litra. Circa 430 BC. Bearded head to right, wearing diadem / Corinthian helmet decorated with spiral ornament; IMEPAN around; all within circular incuse. SNG ANS -; SNG Lloyd 1028; Rizzo pl. XXI, 13; Basel -; Gulbenkian -; HGC 2, 447. 0.58g, 10mm, 12h.

Extremely Fine; rare in this condition.

Acquired from Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger; Ex Graeculus Collection.

83.

Sicily, Katane AR Tetras. Circa 415-412 BC. Laureate head of Apollo to right; laurel leaf to right before / Kithara; K-[A] across fields, three pellets (mark of value) around. Boehringer, Kataneische, Ts 15-19; HGC 2, 595. 0.18g, 8mm, 1h.

Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare.

From a private European collection.

84.

Sicily, Leontinoi AR Obol. Circa 476-466 BC. Facing lion’s scalp / Barley grain; ΛEON around. Boehringer, Münzgeschichte 19; SNG ANS 213-216 var. (rev. legend arrangement, litra); HGC 2, 687. 0.70g, 11mm, 12h.

Extremely Fine; superb for the issue.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 98, 16 June 2022, lot 79.

Sicily, Leontinoi AR Tetradrachm. Circa 430-420 BC. Laureate head of Apollo to left / Lion’s head to left, with open jaws and tongue protruding; three barley grains, a leaf, and LEONTINON around. Rizzo pl. XXIIII, 4 (same dies); Boehringer, Münzgeschichte, pl.12, 55 (same dies); SNG ANS 257 (same dies); SNG München 559 (same dies); HGC 2, 671 (same dies). 17.32g, 26mm, 10h.

Sicily, Messana AR Tetradrachm. 465-461 BC. Mule biga driven to right by seated male charioteer; Nike flying to right above, crowning mules with wreath, bay leaf in exergue / Hare springing to right; MESSENION around. Caltabiano Series V, 352 (R145 - same rev. die); Randazzo 181 (same dies); SNG ANS 315-320; HGC 2, 779. 17.39g, 26mm, 9h.

Extremely Fine; attractive hints of iridescence around devices.

From the Arethusa Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XI, 7 April 2016, lot 98.

Exceedingly Rare

Sicily, Messana AR Litra. Circa 412-408 BC. Hare springing to right; Λ and scallop shell below / MEΣ within wreath. Caltabiano 638; HGC 2, 818 (R2); CNG E-218, 70 (same dies). 0.59g, 14mm, 10h.

Extremely Fine. Exceedingly Rare; seemingly just three other specimens sold at auction in the past twenty years.

From a private European collection.

900

300

Sicily, Segesta AR Didrachm. Circa 412-400 BC. Hound to right, three stalks of barley behind; ΣΕΓΕΣΤΑZΙΒ in exergue / ΕΓΕΣΤΑIOИ, head of nymph to right. Hurter, Didrachmenprägung 193 (V60/R108); SNG ANS 643 (same dies); HGC 2, 1151. 8.43g, 22mm, 6h.

Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare.

From a private European collection.

89. 1,500

Sicily, Selinos AR Didrachm. Circa 540-515 BC. Selinon (wild parsley) leaf; pellets flanking above, two further pellets flanking stem, taking form of eyes of facing panther head design / Dekapartite incuse punch with raised and sunken compartments. Arnold-Biucchi Group I, 5; Selinus Hoard 30 (suggested animal a fox or bat); SNG ANS 665-6; HGC 2, 1210. 9.06g, 23mm.

Good Extremely Fine; beautiful light cabinet tone with attractive iridescence. Very Rare.

Privately purchased from Bank Leu AG prior to June 1989, old collector’s ticket included.

Unsigned Dies by the Master ‘A’

Sicily, Syracuse AR Tetradrachm. Time of the Second Democracy, circa 440-430 BC. Unsigned dies by the master ‘A’. Charioteer, holding kentron and reins, driving slow quadriga to right; Nike above, flying to right, crowning horses with wreath / Head of Arethusa to right, wearing double-hook earrings and necklace; ΣYPAKOΣION and four dolphins around. Boehringer 642 (V326/R442); BMC 112 (same dies); SNG ANS 207 (same dies); HGC 2, 1319. 17.68g, 25mm, 1h.

Extremely Fine.

Acquired from Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions.

4,500

The talented engraver who signed some of his dies simply with an ‘A’ was the very first master engraver to sign his dies at Syracuse, around 15 years before other masters such as Eumenos, Kimon and Euainetos began signing theirs.

Sicily, Syracuse AR Tetradrachm. Time of the Second Democracy, circa 420 BC. Unsigned dies by the unknown master ‘A’. Charioteer, holding kentron and reins, driving slow quadriga to right; Nike above, flying to right, crowning charioteer with wreath / Head of Arethusa to right, wearing hook earring, hair enveloped in sakkos drawn together at top and decorated with a maeander pattern above chevrons; ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙ[ΟΝ] and four dolphins around. Boehringer 692 (V342/R471); HGC 2, 1322. 17.08g, 25mm, 3h.

Near Extremely Fine. Rare.

From a private European collection.

1,500

Signed by Eumenes and Eukleidas

Sicily, Syracuse AR Tetradrachm. Time of the Second Democracy, circa 415-405 BC. Obverse die signed by Eumenes and reverse die signed by Eukleidas. Charioteer, holding kentron in right hand and reins in both, driving fast quadriga to left; Nike above, flying to right, crowning charioteer with wreath; EYMENOY in exergue / Head of Arethusa to left, wearing double-pendant earring, hair bound by ampyx and net-like sphendone; below chin, diptych inscribed EYKΛEIΔA in two lines, ΣYPAKOΣIΩN and four dolphins around. Tudeer 24 (O9/R16); Boston MFA 402 = Warren 372 (same dies); SNG ANS 259 (same dies); BMC 193 (same dies); HGC 2, 1328. 17.18g, 27mm, 6h.

Near Extremely Fine; a bright, attractive example. Scarce; especially so in such condition.

Acquired from Nomos AG.

Described by Cicero as ‘the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all’ (Against Verres, 2.4.52), Syracuse became the major power in Sicily during the late fifth century BC. Its political and cultural power is borne out in its enormous issues of undoubtedly some of the finest coinage in all of antiquity, with its influence attracting eminent artists, including some celebrated die-engravers from across the Mediterranean. These masters brought about a stylistic revolution, breathing life into the static, rigid forms of Archaic art and developing new ways of depicting motion and life on a miniature scale. These artists were responsible for tetradrachms of beautifully realistic style which were minted in vast quantities and widely disseminated and are now highly sought after by collectors.

Among these master engravers were Eumenes and Eukleidas, who worked contemporaneously and whose status as artists rather than mere craftsmen is symbolised by the act of signing their dies, just as painters would later sign their masterpieces. Intriguingly, Eukleidas’ signature can be glimpsed on this example on a miniature folding diptych, an interesting element of materiality that appears to float in the sea with dolphins swimming about the graceful head of the sea-nymph Arethusa, her delicate classical features and serene expression beautifully complemented by her curls flowing wave-like away from her face. The impression of motion carries over to the obverse in a dramatic depiction of a chariot race. An iconic motif which had evolved from sober, canonical renderings inspired by Attic vase paintings, this dramatic engraving emphasises the thundering motion of the team of horses. We are afforded a wonderful view of the charioteer straining forwards, but while Eumenes’ style powerfully engages the viewer in the race, the outcome is never in doubt: the presence of Nike, soaring in from above to crown the charioteer, shows victory is assured.

This victorious representation is particularly pertinent within the context of the events of the decade in which this specific type was produced, during which Syracuse saw off the great Sicilian Expedition of Athens and battled with Carthage in the Second Sicilian War. When the Athenians besieged Syracuse in 415-413 BC the Syracusans were able to successfully overcome the onslaught, however a more formidable in the form of Hannibal Mago would soon test Syracusan resolve when in 410 BC the Carthaginians renewed hostilities in Sicily. Having captured Selinos and Himera, Hannibal Mago turned his sights to the greatest prize, Syracuse. Dionysios I was forced to accept an uneasy peace treaty in 405 BC with Himilco, Hannibal Mago’s successor, which marked an end to Syracusan influence in much of the rest of the island.

Good Extremely Fine; splendid green

From a private European collection.