Nomos AG
Auction 16 10 May 2018
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Elis. Olympia. 96th Olympiad, 396 BC. Stater (Silver, 22 mm, 11.41 g, 10 h). Eagle standing left, grasping coiled snake with his talons and tearing at its neck with his beak; all on round shield with raised rim. Rev. F Α (the Α recut in the die and partially incuse) Thunderbolt, with volutes above and flames below; on either side of the volutes, two olive leaves. BCD Olympia 89 (same dies). McClean 6630 (= Seltman 164a). Seltman Katoché 164 and pl. VI (this coin). Seltman, Temple 164 (BV/δζ). Rare. Toned and quite bold. Good very fine.
From the Ravenel Collection, USA, and from the Prospero Collection, New York Sale XXVII, 4 January 2012, 391, ex Sternberg XVII, 9 May 1986, 123 and Hess-Leu [11], 24 March 1959, 216.
The 5th and earlier 4th century coinage of Olympia is notorious for being poorly struck and, often, being very worn. The amount of wear was certainly caused by the way the coins were used: they were basically solely for use in Olympia itself: they all seem to be slightly underweight in comparison to other Aeginetic Standard issues from the Peloponnesos or central Greece, and the theory that claims only Olympian issues could be used at Olympia (other coins had to be turned in and exchanged for them) seems quite reasonable. While some Olympian coins would have been taken home by visitors as souvenirs, most would have re-exchanged for more suitable coins when the visitors left (thus ipso facto making a donation to the sanctuary through the commissions paid at both ends of the transactions). The sanctuary's need for its own coinage also helps to explain why so many dies for the coins of Olympia were recut and repaired (as the reverse die for this piece was) in order to keep them in use.
From the Ravenel Collection, USA, and from the Prospero Collection, New York Sale XXVII, 4 January 2012, 391, ex Sternberg XVII, 9 May 1986, 123 and Hess-Leu [11], 24 March 1959, 216.
The 5th and earlier 4th century coinage of Olympia is notorious for being poorly struck and, often, being very worn. The amount of wear was certainly caused by the way the coins were used: they were basically solely for use in Olympia itself: they all seem to be slightly underweight in comparison to other Aeginetic Standard issues from the Peloponnesos or central Greece, and the theory that claims only Olympian issues could be used at Olympia (other coins had to be turned in and exchanged for them) seems quite reasonable. While some Olympian coins would have been taken home by visitors as souvenirs, most would have re-exchanged for more suitable coins when the visitors left (thus ipso facto making a donation to the sanctuary through the commissions paid at both ends of the transactions). The sanctuary's need for its own coinage also helps to explain why so many dies for the coins of Olympia were recut and repaired (as the reverse die for this piece was) in order to keep them in use.