Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3071 6-7 Jan 2019
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Ancients
MYSIA. Cyzicus. Ca. 500-450 BC. EL stater (20mm, 16.02 gm). NGC AU 3/5 - 4/5. Facing head of Silenus, with heavy beard and horse's ears, between two upward-facing tunny fish / Quadripartite 'mill-sail' incuse square. cf. Greenwell 45 (hecte). Hurter & Liewald I, 77. Cf. von Fritze 77, (hecte). Cf. SNG France 208 (hecte). Extremely rare as a stater, one of perhaps 10 known examples! Well struck with a humorous head of Silenus.
Ex European collection formed before 2005 (Obolos 7, 9 July 2017), lot 139.
Silenus, in Greek mythology, was the main follower and drinking companion of the wine god Dionysus. Silenus is usually portrayed as a bearded older man with the ears and tail of a horse. He is usually shown in an inebriated state, often supported by another satyr or a donkey. However, he is also reputed to have had special prophetic powers when drunk. This rare and marvelous stater of Cyzicus depicts Silenus in his usual smiling, happily drunken state; the unusual frontal depiction is framed by two tunny fish, the symbol of Cyzicus.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 3000-4000 USD
MYSIA. Cyzicus. Ca. 500-450 BC. EL stater (20mm, 16.02 gm). NGC AU 3/5 - 4/5. Facing head of Silenus, with heavy beard and horse's ears, between two upward-facing tunny fish / Quadripartite 'mill-sail' incuse square. cf. Greenwell 45 (hecte). Hurter & Liewald I, 77. Cf. von Fritze 77, (hecte). Cf. SNG France 208 (hecte). Extremely rare as a stater, one of perhaps 10 known examples! Well struck with a humorous head of Silenus.
Ex European collection formed before 2005 (Obolos 7, 9 July 2017), lot 139.
Silenus, in Greek mythology, was the main follower and drinking companion of the wine god Dionysus. Silenus is usually portrayed as a bearded older man with the ears and tail of a horse. He is usually shown in an inebriated state, often supported by another satyr or a donkey. However, he is also reputed to have had special prophetic powers when drunk. This rare and marvelous stater of Cyzicus depicts Silenus in his usual smiling, happily drunken state; the unusual frontal depiction is framed by two tunny fish, the symbol of Cyzicus.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 3000-4000 USD