The New York Sale
Auction 40 11 January 2017
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ANCIENT COINS, ANCIENT GREEK COINS, Etruria, Populonia. Silver 10 Asses (3.88 g), ca. 300-250 BC. Laureate head of Aplu left; behind, X. Blank. (SNG ANS 26; HN Italy 168). Toned. Extremely fine.
Purchased privately from Tom Cederlind.
Like many aspects of Etruscan culture, Etruscan coins have a distinctive character. In contrast to most contemporary Greek and native Italian coinages, the flan of this Populonian silver issue was struck by a single die against a flat surface rather than an anvil die, leaving it with only a single type (technical reverse) and an enigmatic blank side (technical obverse). In this case the type depicts Aplu, the Etruscan version of the Greek god Apollo, and features the numeral X to indicate a face value of 10 bronze asses. A similar value indicator was later adopted by the Romans to indicate the number of asses in the silver denarius.
Estimate: $ 2,000
Purchased privately from Tom Cederlind.
Like many aspects of Etruscan culture, Etruscan coins have a distinctive character. In contrast to most contemporary Greek and native Italian coinages, the flan of this Populonian silver issue was struck by a single die against a flat surface rather than an anvil die, leaving it with only a single type (technical reverse) and an enigmatic blank side (technical obverse). In this case the type depicts Aplu, the Etruscan version of the Greek god Apollo, and features the numeral X to indicate a face value of 10 bronze asses. A similar value indicator was later adopted by the Romans to indicate the number of asses in the silver denarius.
Estimate: $ 2,000