Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Lot 1593    Session 6 (9:30am Wednesday 1st August)    Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Estimate $3,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,700

SICILY, Thermai Himerenses, (c.400-350 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.45 g), obv. charioteer driving a quadriga of rearing horses to left, holding kentron in right hand, reins in left hand, Nike flying above and crowning charioteer, Greek legend **[QER]MITAN* in exergue, above exergue line [K]**L*H, rev. female nymph head to right crowned with swamp reeds leaves and placed in a sphendone, wearing single finely styled pendant earring and necklace, three dolphins around, (S.- (820), Jenkins, SNR 50, 6 [same dies, dies 04/R5, Pl.22], Pennisi ZfN 1935, Pl.IX, 1 [same dies], cf.Hirsch Sale XXX May 11, 1911 (lot 359 same reverse die], NFA Sale XXX, [same dies, lot 26 realised US$5750], Head, 2nd Edn. p.146 notes the Sambon piece). Light grey tone, good very fine/very fine, off centred on reverse, tight flan, very rare.

Ex Numismatic Ars Classica Auction I, Zurich May 19, 1999 (lot 1233) and the Hannibal Collection, Noble Numismatics Sale 112, (lot 3830) and Sale 64 (lot 2418).

Jenkins records only two examples of this coin struck from these dies with only twenty recorded Thermai tetradrachms known. A hoard has provided several more examples including this piece.
The signature K**LH of the engraver has been suggested to be that of the master engraver Kletias. The issue followed the destruction of Himera in 409 B.C. and the population that fled were allowed to settle at Thermai next to the hot springs. This new city was also inhabited by Carthaginians who dominated that city. The city was allowed to strike a very small quantity of coinage similar in manner to that struck by other Sicilian Carthaginian mints. Only four obverse and five reverse dies are known for the coinage.