Greek Silver & Bronze

Lot 1778       Greek Silver & Bronze

Estimate $700
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $760

SICILY, Selinus, (c.445-435 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.02 grams), obv. slow quadriga driven right by Apollo and Artemis standing side by side, holding bow and arrow, rev. Selinus the river god standing facing, head to left, with phiale over altar, sacrificial cock standing before to right, bull to left on pedestal inscribed A incuse, selinon leaf above, traces of **SELINONTION around, (cf.S.907, Schwabacher, [Mitt. der Bayerischen Num. Gesell. Vol. XLIII, 1925] No.20, dies, obv. 5; rev. 17 [notes only five examples known from these dies]). Pitted mostly around the edge on the obverse and reverse, otherwise nearly very fine/very fine and rare.

Willy Schwabacher in the cited reference above notes from these dies five coins, two examples in Berlin, one in the British Museum [Ex. Hirsch sale 21], another in Pozzi sale 1921 and the last in a private collection. Fifth century B.C. coins from Selinus are rare, Schwabacher knew of only 262 coins from this city.