Nomos AG
obolos 10 30 Jun 2018
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CARIA. Halikarnassos. Circa 460-440 BC. Hemiobol (Silver, 7.5 mm, 0.32 g). AΛ Head and neck of ketos to right. Rev. Eight-rayed star within incuse square. Apparently unpublished apart from Kagan & Kritt p. 263, note 10 and pl. 47, 6. Well struck and clear; the second known example (see CNG e-auction 207, 2009, 193 - but legend incomplete). Good fine.
Unlike the second known example, which was attributed with some doubts to Kindya, (CNG e-auction 207, 25 March 2009, 193), the present piece has the full ethnic AΛ on the flan, which makes the link to Halikarnassos inevitable. The style of the ketos has nothing to do with the one on the early coins of Kindya and is closer to the very rare half staters from Halikarnassos. Both this coin and the half staters cannot be dated as early as the Kindya pieces (510-480 BC) and stylistically again, a date around the middle of the 5th century or later would be suitable. In any case this is definitely a "key" coin since it unlocks a minor mystery.
Unlike the second known example, which was attributed with some doubts to Kindya, (CNG e-auction 207, 25 March 2009, 193), the present piece has the full ethnic AΛ on the flan, which makes the link to Halikarnassos inevitable. The style of the ketos has nothing to do with the one on the early coins of Kindya and is closer to the very rare half staters from Halikarnassos. Both this coin and the half staters cannot be dated as early as the Kindya pieces (510-480 BC) and stylistically again, a date around the middle of the 5th century or later would be suitable. In any case this is definitely a "key" coin since it unlocks a minor mystery.