Watch List notes:

Messana, tetradrachm by Simin.., c. 412-408 BC, slow biga of mules driven left by female charioteer holding goad and reins; above, Nike flying right to crown her; on exergual line in tiny letters, traces of ΣΙΜΙΝ; in ex., dolphin left, rev., ΜΕΣΣ-ΑΝΙ-ΩΝ, hare springing left; below, eagle perched on serpent, 17.11g; die axis 3.00 (Caltabiano 628, 2 and pl. 38, this coin; Jameson 653, same dies; Gulbenkian 226-227, same obverse die; SNG ANS 381, same obverse die; Basel 368, same obverse die), toned, very fine and very rare. Provenance: Maison Platt, June 1921, lot 38; A.D. Moretti collection; Classical Numismatic Group and Numismatica Ars Classica sale 40, 1996, lot 801; M.L. Collection of Coins of Magna Graecia and Sicily, Numismatica Ars Classica 82, 20 May 2015, lot 46. This signed obverse die by an otherwise unknown die engraver is paired with three reverse dies with differing arrangements of the legend. While Caltabiano doubted the existence of the signature because on most specimens it is difficult to read, she seems not to have examined the Bunker Hunt specimen (formerly in the Käpelli collection) upon which the signature is particularly clear (see Hunt sale part 2, Sotheby's New York, 21 June 1990, lot 238 with enlargement). Both Exakestidas at Kamarina and Kimon at Syracuse (see lots 9 and 16 in this catalogue) signed their coins in a similar way with tiny letters inscribed along the exergual lines of their obverses. Caltabiano has suggested that the present coin is struck over a coin of Akragas but since the Jameson example from the same dies shows the same "flaws" they must be on the die rather than indicative of an overstrike. Caltabiano 628, 6 (Gulbenkian 226) actually belongs to her no. 627 so that she has recorded a total of only six coins including the present piece from these particular dies.
(3000-4000 GBP)