Watch List notes:

LESBOS. Mytilene. Circa 454-428/7 BC. Hekte (Electrum, 10 mm, 2.56 g, 7 h). Helmeted head of Athena to right. Rev. Two confronted female heads, their faces overlapping, within incuse square. Bodenstedt 55. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG von Aulock -. Very rare and interesting. Minor die rust and scratches on the obverse and the revere struck slightly off center, otherwise, very fine.


From a European collection, formed before 2005.

The overlapping faces on the reverse of this coin confuse our eyes by creating a highly interesting optical illusion. As such, the type is unique in all of ancient coinage and of great interest to art historians.