Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XVII 28 Mar 2019
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Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Attic helmet, base of crest decorated with zig-zag and pellet pattern; tunny to left below / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 67, pl. I 20; Greenwell 25; SNG France -; SNG von Aulock -; Boston MFA 1446; Dewing -; Gillet 1053 = Kunstfreund 3 = Jameson 2171 = Weber 4971; Gulbenkian 609. 16.11g, 19mm.
Very Fine. Very Rare.
From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-1990s.
Worship of Athena in Kyzikos is attested in the Palatine Anthology which states that Kyzikos had "the first sanctuary in Asia" to Athena (6.342.5-6). Although little more is said regarding any strong connections between the city and this goddess, her appearance on this coin clearly highlights her presence in the religious life of the city. Here the goddess is represented in the formulaic archaic portrait style for which Kyzikos is so well-known. Brett (in the Catalogue of Greek Coins, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 1955) marks the similarity between the zigzag pattern on the base of the helmet's crest on this coin type with that of sixth century Athenian coins (see plates 2-4 in Svoronos, Corpus of the Ancient Coins of Athens). It is therefore possible that the depiction of Athena on this issue was directly influenced by her appearance on Athenian coins circulating in the sixth century.
Very Fine. Very Rare.
From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-1990s.
Worship of Athena in Kyzikos is attested in the Palatine Anthology which states that Kyzikos had "the first sanctuary in Asia" to Athena (6.342.5-6). Although little more is said regarding any strong connections between the city and this goddess, her appearance on this coin clearly highlights her presence in the religious life of the city. Here the goddess is represented in the formulaic archaic portrait style for which Kyzikos is so well-known. Brett (in the Catalogue of Greek Coins, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 1955) marks the similarity between the zigzag pattern on the base of the helmet's crest on this coin type with that of sixth century Athenian coins (see plates 2-4 in Svoronos, Corpus of the Ancient Coins of Athens). It is therefore possible that the depiction of Athena on this issue was directly influenced by her appearance on Athenian coins circulating in the sixth century.