Greek Silver & Bronze Coins
Lot 3318 Session 11 (9.30am Thursday 26 March) Greek Silver & Bronze Coins
Estimate $200
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $120
HUNNIC TRIBES, Nezak Huns, Shahi Tegin (Sri Shahi), (680-738), silver drachm (31mm, 3.39 g), obv. crowned bust to right, c/m: tamgha, rev. fire altar flanked by attendants, star and crescent flanking flames, (Gobl, Dokumente Em. 244; MACW 1562, for c/m: Gobl, Dokumente KM 103). Very fine with pale gold plug on neck.
This type is remarkable for being trilingual - carrying legends in Greco-Baktrian, Pahlavi, and Brahmi - and speaks to the growing influence of the issuing body. Even more unusual, however, is the modification that so many of these coins later received. In addition to being countermarked, and presumably at the same time as the application of the countermark, the majority of these coins were holed and filled with either a debased gold, or less often, a copper plug. The reason for the unprecedented procedure is unclear. It was perhaps undertaken in an effort to raise the value of the coins.
Estimate / sale price does not include buyer's premium (currently 22% including GST) which is added to hammer price. All bids are executed on the understanding that the Terms & Conditions of sale have been read and accepted. For information on grading and estimates please refer to the Buying at Auction advice.
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Adjacent lots
Lot 3316
PERSIS, uncertain king II, 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D., silver hemidrachm (1.52 g), ...
Estimate $100
Lot 3317
INDO-GREEK, Menander, (c.160-145 B.C.), tetradrachm, (9.87 g), Pushkalavati mint, obv. helmeted bust of Menander to ...
Estimate $500
Lot 3318 This lot
HUNNIC TRIBES, Nezak Huns, Shahi Tegin (Sri Shahi), (680-738), silver drachm (31mm, 3.39 g), obv. ...
Estimate $200
Lot 3319
EGYPT, Kingdom of, Ptolemy I, (323-283 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, issued 305-283 B.C., (14.06 g), Alexandria ...
Estimate $400
Lot 3320
PTOLEMY VI PHILOMETOR, (B.C. 180-145), AE 20, (8.49 g), Alexandria mint, obv. head of Zeus-Ammon ...
Estimate $60