Heritage World Coin Auctions
Long Beach Signature Sale 3057 7-8 Sep 2017
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LYDIAN KINGDOM. Alyattes or Walwet (610-561 BC). EL third stater or trite (12mm, 4.74 gm). NGC Choice VF★ 5/5 - 5/5. Inscribed issue, Sardes (?), ca. 600-580 BC. Two confronted heads of lions (the right-facing head entirely shown and the left-facing one mostly off flan, with tip of nose showing); between them, WALWET in retrograde Lydian script / Two incuse square punches side by side. Weidaur Group XVII, 91-92 and 95. SNG von Aulock 8204.95. J. Spier in Studies Price (London 1998), pp. 330-332. Le Rider, La naissance de la monnaie, pp. 49-57. Rare issue with a significant amount of the all-important inscription visible!
Known examples of electrum coins inscribed in the name of the Lydian king Alyattes (rendered WALWET in the ancient Lydian script) were in the single digits until recently, when several examples from an appeared on the market. They remain extremely rare and are certainly among the first coins in history to carry an inscription along with a "type." The dies of third-staters (trites) and sixth-staters were engraved with two confronting lion heads with the Lydian legend between them; however, the flans are invariably too small to show both heads.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 6000-8000 USD
LYDIAN KINGDOM. Alyattes or Walwet (610-561 BC). EL third stater or trite (12mm, 4.74 gm). NGC Choice VF★ 5/5 - 5/5. Inscribed issue, Sardes (?), ca. 600-580 BC. Two confronted heads of lions (the right-facing head entirely shown and the left-facing one mostly off flan, with tip of nose showing); between them, WALWET in retrograde Lydian script / Two incuse square punches side by side. Weidaur Group XVII, 91-92 and 95. SNG von Aulock 8204.95. J. Spier in Studies Price (London 1998), pp. 330-332. Le Rider, La naissance de la monnaie, pp. 49-57. Rare issue with a significant amount of the all-important inscription visible!
Known examples of electrum coins inscribed in the name of the Lydian king Alyattes (rendered WALWET in the ancient Lydian script) were in the single digits until recently, when several examples from an appeared on the market. They remain extremely rare and are certainly among the first coins in history to carry an inscription along with a "type." The dies of third-staters (trites) and sixth-staters were engraved with two confronting lion heads with the Lydian legend between them; however, the flans are invariably too small to show both heads.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 6000-8000 USD