Nomos AG
Auction 16 10 May 2018
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Islands off Troas. Tenedos. Circa 100-70 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 37 mm, 16.81 g). Janiform head composed of a laureate and bearded head of Zeus to left and a diademed head of Hera to right. Rev. ΤΕΝΕ - ΔΙΩΝ Double axe; below axe-head and to left and right of the shaft, bunch of grapes; all within laurel wreath. Callataÿ, Tenedos 1 (D1/R1, this coin). A remarkably elegant coin, of the very finest late Hellenistic style. Toned and perfectly centered. The first issue of, and the prototype for, the late series of tetradrachms of Tenedos; as such, unique. Extremely fine.
From the Ravenel Collection, USA, ex Nomos 11, 9 October 2015, 108, from the collection of N. B. Hunt, II, Sotheby's New York, 21 June 1990, 475 (illustrated on the front cover), ex Bank Leu 30, 28 April 1982, 171 and Kastner 10, 18 May 1976, 51.
After a long break when the only silver coins struck were posthumous Lysimachus tetradrachms, Tenedos resumed minting silver during the 1st century BC with a series of tetradrachms and drachms, like the present example. These coins are uniformly very rare, but this piece is particularly important as well. All the others have a monogram and a symbol in the reverse field, in addition to a bunch of grapes that refers to the island's most important product. The monograms and symbols were used as controls to identify the officials who were in charge of the minting process. This piece only bears two bunches of grapes, a sure sign of a prototype issued as a test; the absolutely outstanding quality of the engraving also marks this coin out as special issue. The Janiform head on the obverse is beautifully executed, and even the wreath border on the reverse is made with the greatest care. All in all this is an astonishing coin.
From the Ravenel Collection, USA, ex Nomos 11, 9 October 2015, 108, from the collection of N. B. Hunt, II, Sotheby's New York, 21 June 1990, 475 (illustrated on the front cover), ex Bank Leu 30, 28 April 1982, 171 and Kastner 10, 18 May 1976, 51.
After a long break when the only silver coins struck were posthumous Lysimachus tetradrachms, Tenedos resumed minting silver during the 1st century BC with a series of tetradrachms and drachms, like the present example. These coins are uniformly very rare, but this piece is particularly important as well. All the others have a monogram and a symbol in the reverse field, in addition to a bunch of grapes that refers to the island's most important product. The monograms and symbols were used as controls to identify the officials who were in charge of the minting process. This piece only bears two bunches of grapes, a sure sign of a prototype issued as a test; the absolutely outstanding quality of the engraving also marks this coin out as special issue. The Janiform head on the obverse is beautifully executed, and even the wreath border on the reverse is made with the greatest care. All in all this is an astonishing coin.