Greek Coins. Islands off Elis, Zacinthus
Drachm circa 500-450, AR 15 mm, 3.54 g. Amphora. Rev. Tripod within incuse square. cf. Traité 1267 and pl. XXXIX, 13. cf. Gardner, NC 1885, p. 89, 2 and pl. I, 2. Of the highest rarity, only very few specimens known. Old cabinet tone, struck from a worn obverse die, otherwise about very fine From a private European collection and privately purchased in 1980. The coins of Zacinthus are of the highest rarity and as far as we are concerned they havent't been offered in a public auctions at least in the last fifty years. The only published specimens of this denomination are the ones illustrated by Babelon in the Traité and by Gardner in an article published in Numismatic Chronicle 1885. All these coins have an amphora of very different shape from the one of the present specimen, while the tripod on reverse is consistent with the series. We have therefore decided to email BCD to ask his opinion as we ere not sure that the attribution to Zacinthus was correct. His reply was the following: If you look at the 1868 Greek publication by A. Postolacca, describing the ancient coins of the Ionian islands collected by Paul Lambros and donated to the National University by Alexander Mourouzis, a very similar coin to yours features in an engraving on plate E', no. 990. The obverse is of a different style and with letters on either side and the weight is 3.83. However, the interest lies in no. 989, a non illustrated (non engraved) coin, coming immediately before no. 990. Its flan is given as 3 ¾ i.e. slightly broader than no. 990 wich is just 3., but there are no letters listed on the obverse and the amphora is termed "conical", whatever that means. We may indeed here have a very similar coin to yours, unfortunately not illustrated. Whether the Museum people will be able to digi t out and send you a photo is highly debated buti f you want I can send you a scan of the Greek text page and the plate if you do not have the book in your library. Unfortunately, the current situation made for us impossible to contact the Museum people.