Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Lot 3033    SESSION 11 (9.30AM THURSDAY 2ND APRIL)    Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Estimate $800
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,400

MACEDON, Mende, (465-424 B.C., but c.450 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.27 g), obv. Dionysos reclining to left on the back of an ass standing right, he holds a kantharos in right hand, before him a crow perched on a vine branch, rev. [M]END[A]I[ON] around linear square within which a vine with five bunches of grapes on vine, (S.1407 Gaebler, Die Antiken Munzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol.III [AMNG] No.21, Pl. XV, 29 [different dies], Noe [NN&M 27] No. 20-34, Plate III similar dies). Good very fine/fine with rough reverse, very rare, an unpublished die combination.

Ex George Mihailuk Collection, from Richard Welling 26/6/2006.
Mende was famous in the ancient world as an exporter of wine, and presumably made her fine series of these silver tetradrachms from the surplus of her trade. The designs refer to the trade, the grape vine and bunches occupy the centre of the reverse, while Dionysus, the god of wine, reclines on his sacred animal, the ass and contemplates the cup of wine from which he has drunk. The significance of the crow on the reverse is mysterious as the crow is not associated with Dionysus in mythology. The date of c.450 B.C. is based on earlier coins being those only present in the Asyut hoard and a similar die being used that was overstruck on a coin of Gela c.450-440 B.C.