Watch List notes:

GREEK COINS
Asia Minor, uncertain mint

Milesian stater circa 500-490, EL 13.96 g. Cow kneeling r., head reverted, suckling calf; above, flower and to r., branch. Rev. Rectangular incuse punch with irregular surfaces. Traité I, 77 (this obverse die). Sestini pl. 4, 23 (this obverse die). Kraay-Hirmer 589 (Miletus, this obverse die).
Of the highest rarity, apparently only the third specimen known. A very
interesting and enigmatic issue, very fine


From a Swiss private collection and purchased from Tkalec in 1992.
Having been published by Babelon, Svoronos and Kraay, this type of electrum stater with a cow suckling its calf is well-known within a series that is defined by discovery coins. It is an exceedingly rare and important issue that, at present, cannot be reliably assigned to a minting authority. Its style, fabric and Lydo-Milesian weight suggest it was issued at a mint in Lydia or Ionia, yet the lotus flower over the cow is a familiar feature of the early coins of Thrace and Macedon, such as tetradrachms of Abdera, tetrobols and dodecadrachms of the Derrones, and tetrobols of Olynthus. It is also a prominent and recurring design element on tetrobols and tetradrachms of Acanthus, and on coins usually attributed to Stageira or Methone. Though similar staters have been found in the northerly regions of Greece, a find spot does not necessarily mark the point of origin of large-denomination coins, for they were habitually exported in regional or international trade.

This distinctive floral emblem appears on at least three other early electrum staters of the Lydo-Milesian standard. Examples in the Rosen collection (sylloge nos. 148 and 149) show a bull kneeling with its head reverted and two rampant lions standing upright with their heads reverted and paws extended. Another piece, which shows a recumbent lion, was offered in NAC 72 as lot 369. The flowers on all three pieces are comparable to that on the present coin, and are displayed with equal prominence, suggesting it may have been the symbol for electrum issued at a single mint.