Nomos AG
Auction 17 26 Oct 2018
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CRETE. Phaistos. Circa 320-300 BC. Stater (Silver, 23 mm, 11.01 g, 11 h). Τ - ΑΛ - ΩΝ Talos, nude, standing facing on ground line, his wings spread, raising his right hand to hurl a stone, and holding another stone in his left, down by his side. Rev. ΦΑΙΣΤΙΩΝ Bull butting to right, on ground line. Le Rider p. 96, 62 and pl. xxiv, 4 and Svoronos, Numismatique, p. 264 67 and pl. xxiv, 24 (both same dies). Very rare and unusually nice for this issue - or for any Cretan issues of this period. Sharply struck, very attractive and nicely toned. Extremely fine.
From a European collection, and from the Hunter Collection, Goldberg 72, 5 February 2013, 4072 (without earlier provenance because the collector's ticket was lost ...), from an American collection acquired from H. J. Berk, and from a specialized European collection, Bank Leu 15, 4 May 1976, 268.
This coin was sold by Bank Leu on behalf of an elderly collector who was particularly interested in Cretan coins; however, he, like certain other collectors, enjoyed the sense of antiquity he got from coins that were uncleaned as found. Thus, his collection, which had been formed in the 1950s and 1960s, contained many pieces that were uncleaned, as this one. After its purchase at the sale, its new owner had it very carefully and successfully cleaned, thus making it an even more magnificent coin than it was before.
From a European collection, and from the Hunter Collection, Goldberg 72, 5 February 2013, 4072 (without earlier provenance because the collector's ticket was lost ...), from an American collection acquired from H. J. Berk, and from a specialized European collection, Bank Leu 15, 4 May 1976, 268.
This coin was sold by Bank Leu on behalf of an elderly collector who was particularly interested in Cretan coins; however, he, like certain other collectors, enjoyed the sense of antiquity he got from coins that were uncleaned as found. Thus, his collection, which had been formed in the 1950s and 1960s, contained many pieces that were uncleaned, as this one. After its purchase at the sale, its new owner had it very carefully and successfully cleaned, thus making it an even more magnificent coin than it was before.