Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 116 1 Oct 2019
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Clazomenae
Tetradrachm circa 380-360, AR 15.63 g. Laureate head of Apollo facing slightly to l. Rev. ΚΛΑZΟ[Μ – ΕΝΙΟΝ] Swan standing l., preening its wing; beneath, [BIΩN]. BMC 18 var. (on reverse, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΗΣ). Jameson 1494 (this reverse die). Boston 1852 (on reverse, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΗΣ). Hurter, SNR 45, 1966, 38 (this coin).
Extremely rare. An intriguing and fascinating issue with a wonderful portrait struck in
high relief, light iridescent tone, surface somewhat corroded, otherwise very fine
Ex NFA mail bid 14 December 1989, 571; NAC A, 1991, 1437 and Hirsch 275, 2011, 3790 sales.
Clazomenae produced some of the finest facing-head portraits in all Greek coinage, with most of them being unsigned masterpieces. However, one artist, Theodotos must have been renowned in his day, for he boldly signed his work "Theodotos made it". Erhart notes that this kind of declaratory signature has few parallels in Greek coinage, perhaps only at Cydonia on Crete and at Thurium in Lucania. Apollo, who here is so perfectly represented, was the principal god of Clazomenae. With a work of such mastery one is obliged to find the source of its inspiration, and it has been recognized that it closely resembles the facing Apollo heads of Amphipolis. Even so, the possible influence – direct or indirect – of Kimon's Arethusa and the Helios portraits of Rhodes cannot be dismissed. In the tradition of so many Greek cities, the swan on this coin is a canting type based on the city name. The importance of these majestic birds appears to have been two-fold at Clazomenae: not only was this bird sacred to Apollo, but it may well be that the city name was derived from the verb klazein, which, among other things, was used to describe the whirr of a bird's wings, or the screech or cry of their calls. The careful, naturalistic studies of swans at Clazomenae find no equal in Greek coinage. Sometimes the bird is shown with wings open as it cranes its neck over its shoulders to look back or, perhaps, to tend to its feathers.
Tetradrachm circa 380-360, AR 15.63 g. Laureate head of Apollo facing slightly to l. Rev. ΚΛΑZΟ[Μ – ΕΝΙΟΝ] Swan standing l., preening its wing; beneath, [BIΩN]. BMC 18 var. (on reverse, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΗΣ). Jameson 1494 (this reverse die). Boston 1852 (on reverse, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΗΣ). Hurter, SNR 45, 1966, 38 (this coin).
Extremely rare. An intriguing and fascinating issue with a wonderful portrait struck in
high relief, light iridescent tone, surface somewhat corroded, otherwise very fine
Ex NFA mail bid 14 December 1989, 571; NAC A, 1991, 1437 and Hirsch 275, 2011, 3790 sales.
Clazomenae produced some of the finest facing-head portraits in all Greek coinage, with most of them being unsigned masterpieces. However, one artist, Theodotos must have been renowned in his day, for he boldly signed his work "Theodotos made it". Erhart notes that this kind of declaratory signature has few parallels in Greek coinage, perhaps only at Cydonia on Crete and at Thurium in Lucania. Apollo, who here is so perfectly represented, was the principal god of Clazomenae. With a work of such mastery one is obliged to find the source of its inspiration, and it has been recognized that it closely resembles the facing Apollo heads of Amphipolis. Even so, the possible influence – direct or indirect – of Kimon's Arethusa and the Helios portraits of Rhodes cannot be dismissed. In the tradition of so many Greek cities, the swan on this coin is a canting type based on the city name. The importance of these majestic birds appears to have been two-fold at Clazomenae: not only was this bird sacred to Apollo, but it may well be that the city name was derived from the verb klazein, which, among other things, was used to describe the whirr of a bird's wings, or the screech or cry of their calls. The careful, naturalistic studies of swans at Clazomenae find no equal in Greek coinage. Sometimes the bird is shown with wings open as it cranes its neck over its shoulders to look back or, perhaps, to tend to its feathers.