Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature Sale 3056 3 Aug 2017
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ACHAEMENID PERSIA. Time of Darius I to Xerxes II (485-420 BC). AV daric (16mm, 8.32 gm). NGC MS★ 5/5 - 5/5. Persian king or hero in kneeling-running position right, wearing kidaris (crown) and kandys (royal robe), holding horizontal arrow (!) and diagonal spear with round rear terminal in right hand, fitting arrow into bow held in left hand; quiver over shoulder / Rectangular incuse punch with rough interior surface. NGC Article 5726 (1/10/2017), Daric Coin 2 (this coin). Carradice Type IIIb A/B variant (king drawing arrow). Extremely rare, one of two known examples! Detailed obverse strike, boldly displaying the hitherto unrecorded additional arrow.
Until recently only a single gold daric type, Carridice II, struck circa 505-485 BC, was known to depict the Persian Great King in the actual act of "shooting" an arrow. In recent months two examples of an entirely new variety of Carridice III A/B, struck circa 485-420 BC, have come to light, both struck from the same obverse and reverse dies. These coins show the Great King in his usual kneeling-running position to right, but in addition the transverse spear he holds in his right hand, he also holds the end of a horizontal arrow which is clearly engraved as being fitted into the bow he holds in his left hand. A close examination shows this linear feature has a leaf-shaped point and is indeed intended as an arrow, not a die break. An article published on the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation Website (#5728, dated 1/10/2017), describes the new type in some detail and concludes "it probably does not represent a substantive new type, but a variant created by a bored or confused [or, one might add, a whimsical] die engraver."
HID02901242017
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD
ACHAEMENID PERSIA. Time of Darius I to Xerxes II (485-420 BC). AV daric (16mm, 8.32 gm). NGC MS★ 5/5 - 5/5. Persian king or hero in kneeling-running position right, wearing kidaris (crown) and kandys (royal robe), holding horizontal arrow (!) and diagonal spear with round rear terminal in right hand, fitting arrow into bow held in left hand; quiver over shoulder / Rectangular incuse punch with rough interior surface. NGC Article 5726 (1/10/2017), Daric Coin 2 (this coin). Carradice Type IIIb A/B variant (king drawing arrow). Extremely rare, one of two known examples! Detailed obverse strike, boldly displaying the hitherto unrecorded additional arrow.
Until recently only a single gold daric type, Carridice II, struck circa 505-485 BC, was known to depict the Persian Great King in the actual act of "shooting" an arrow. In recent months two examples of an entirely new variety of Carridice III A/B, struck circa 485-420 BC, have come to light, both struck from the same obverse and reverse dies. These coins show the Great King in his usual kneeling-running position to right, but in addition the transverse spear he holds in his right hand, he also holds the end of a horizontal arrow which is clearly engraved as being fitted into the bow he holds in his left hand. A close examination shows this linear feature has a leaf-shaped point and is indeed intended as an arrow, not a die break. An article published on the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation Website (#5728, dated 1/10/2017), describes the new type in some detail and concludes "it probably does not represent a substantive new type, but a variant created by a bored or confused [or, one might add, a whimsical] die engraver."
HID02901242017
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD