GREEK COINS
CRETE
Itanos. Circa 350-320 BC. Stater (Silver, 22mm, 11.62 g 3). Head of Athena to left, wearing a crested Attic helmet adorned with two olive leaves on the visor and a palmette on a tendril on the bowl. Rev. [Ι]ΤΑΝΙ[ΩΝ or ΟΝ] Eagle with folded wings standing left, his head turned back to right; all within shallow incuse square. Svoronos p. 204, 24-25 and pl. XIX, 10. Rare. Toned, attractive and in high relief. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, very good very fine.
From the Brünn Collection, acquired in Italy prior to World War I.
This coin seems to have been struck somewhere around the mid 4th century and is of unusually fine style - the coinage of Itanos is actually remarkable for the varying abilities of the die cutters who produced its dies. Two reverse dies are known for this issue, one with Ο and the other with Ω: unfortunately that area is covered by a die break on this coin!