Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 458 18 Dec 2019
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THRACE, Kardia. Circa 478-466 BC. AR Tri-siglos (23mm, 16.17 g, 6h). Persic standard. Lion at bay right, head left / Helmeted head of Athena left within incuse square. G. Davis & K. Sheedy, "Miltiades II and his alleged mint in the Chersonesos" in Historia 68 (2019), Series I, 1–9 var. (unlisted dies); Seltman 488–9 var. (same); HGC 3, 1433; SNG Ashmolean 3584 = SNG Lockett 1179 = Pozzi 1101; SNG Delepierre 812 = Pozzi 1100; Hirsch 897; Weber 2400. Toned, porous, scratches on reverse. Near VF. Extremely rare, one of approximately ten known without legend, six of which are in museum collections (Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Cambridge, London, and Paris).
This rare coinage, previously attributed to the Athenian Militades II, has recently undergone a detailed reevaluation, the first thorough study of the issue, since C. Seltman's die study in his corpus on the early Athenian coinage in 1924. While the epigraphic series II made certain the placement of the issue in the Chersonese, previous authors had relied upon the idea that these were struck on the Attic standard to attribute the coins to Miltiades. However, there are now enough examples known to prove that these were actually struck on the Persic standard, after a weight reform undertaken circa 480 BC by Xerxes I. Thus, this coinage could not have been struck for Militades. After reaching these conclusions on the weight standard and terminus-post-quem, Davis and Sheedy analyzed the types and identified Kardia as the likely source of the issue, and thus it must have ended prior to the expedition of Kimon in 466 BC. This issue now has the distinction of being the first numismatic output from the mint of Kardia, an important port in the Chersonese that had been founded by Miletos in the 6th century BC, and re-founded by Miltiades I.
This rare coinage, previously attributed to the Athenian Militades II, has recently undergone a detailed reevaluation, the first thorough study of the issue, since C. Seltman's die study in his corpus on the early Athenian coinage in 1924. While the epigraphic series II made certain the placement of the issue in the Chersonese, previous authors had relied upon the idea that these were struck on the Attic standard to attribute the coins to Miltiades. However, there are now enough examples known to prove that these were actually struck on the Persic standard, after a weight reform undertaken circa 480 BC by Xerxes I. Thus, this coinage could not have been struck for Militades. After reaching these conclusions on the weight standard and terminus-post-quem, Davis and Sheedy analyzed the types and identified Kardia as the likely source of the issue, and thus it must have ended prior to the expedition of Kimon in 466 BC. This issue now has the distinction of being the first numismatic output from the mint of Kardia, an important port in the Chersonese that had been founded by Miletos in the 6th century BC, and re-founded by Miltiades I.