Nomos AG
Auction 18 5 May 2019
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IONIA. Phokaia. Circa 360-340 BC. Hemiobol (Silver, 7 mm, 0.27 g, 6 h). Female head to left, her hair rolled up at the back. Rev. Head of a griffin to left, crest along the back of his neck; all within a linear frame. Apparently unpublished, but see Naumann 54, 2017, 131, Naumann 40, 2016, 284, and Roma May 2013, 438 for other examples of the same type, probably from the same dies. Rare. A remarkably elegant coin, toned as found. About extremely fine.
When a coin of this type first appeared at auction in 2013 it was somewhat bizarrely dated to c. 480 BC; this is, of course, stylistically impossible! Heads like the one on the obverse of this coin are quite similar to the heads of Apollo on contemporary issues from Kolophon, but since our example lacks a wreath it is surely of a local nymph, probably Phokaia herself.
When a coin of this type first appeared at auction in 2013 it was somewhat bizarrely dated to c. 480 BC; this is, of course, stylistically impossible! Heads like the one on the obverse of this coin are quite similar to the heads of Apollo on contemporary issues from Kolophon, but since our example lacks a wreath it is surely of a local nymph, probably Phokaia herself.