Ancient Gold
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Lot 4516 Session 15 (7.30pm Friday) Ancient Gold
Estimate $1,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,100
IONIA, Southern Ionia, possibly Miletus, (c.600-550 B.C.), electrum twelth stater (Lydo-Milesian standard), (1.152 grams), obv. lion's head to left, rev. quadripartite incuse with a dot as centre axis, dots at each end of a cross, (S.3532, cf.NFA Sale VI, 27/2/1979 [lot 281 $600US] = M & M sale 72 6 October 1987 [lot 39]). Good fine/very fine and very rare.
This coinage was struck within the first half century of true coinage and is the succesor to the weighed but unmarked electrum nuggets. These crude types evolved almost immediately although attempts to identify the mint of this coinage are mostly conjectural. However this weight standard is common to Miletus and Lydia and sometimes called 'Phoenician' which circulated in southern Ionia and Caria. Several other example have been sold in recent times. The NFA example above is from similar if not the same dies as our coin.
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 4514
LESBOS, Mytilene, c.430 B.C., electrum hekte (2.462 grams), Bodenstedt dates 454-428/7 B.C., obv. head of ...
Estimate $600
Lot 4515
LESBOS, Mytilene, c.450-330 B.C., electrum hekte (2.520 grams), Bodenstedt dates 370 B.C., obv. head of ...
Estimate $2,000
Lot 4516 This lot
IONIA, Southern Ionia, possibly Miletus, (c.600-550 B.C.), electrum twelth stater (Lydo-Milesian standard), (1.152 grams), obv. ...
Estimate $1,000
Lot 4517
IONIA, Phocaia, (c.477-388 B.C.), electrum hekte or sixth stater, (2.496 grams), obv. forepart of cow ...
Estimate $1,300
Lot 4518
IONIA, Phocaia, c.350-340 B.C. electrum hekte or sixth stater, (2.522 grams) obv. female head (Demeter) ...
Estimate $750