The New York Sale
Auction 30 9 January 2013
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ANCIENT COINS. GREEK. Sicily, Leontinoi (c.460 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 17.01g, 8h. Head of Apollo facing right, wearing a laurel-wreath, his hair in a chignon. Rev. ΛEONTINON, lion's head facing right, four barley-grains around (Boehringer, 'Zur Münzgeschichte von Leontinoi in Klassischen Zeit', in Studies to Price, 34 (this reverse die); SNG ANS 219 (these dies), Rizzo pl. XXIII, 6 (these dies); Kraay-Hirmer, pl. 21 (these dies)). Outstanding style and extremely fine. A rare variety.
Ex F. Sternberg, Auction XX, Zurich, 20 April 1988, lot 285
Kraay estimates the production of about 25 Apollo head obverses from Leontinoi of which this one is probably the rarest (this includes the two dies usually attributed to the Demaretion master). An example of this die is lacking from Gulbenkian, Moretti, Kunstfreund, Hunt, and many other major collections.
This is the only Leontinoi die of the Apollo head type which fully expresses the middle to mature Greek archaic stylistic idiom, c.550-490 B.C., in its adoption of the Greek archaic anatomic conventions of eye structure, a high cheek and prominent lips forming the archaic smile, and defined protuberant chin.
Estimate: $12,500
Ex F. Sternberg, Auction XX, Zurich, 20 April 1988, lot 285
Kraay estimates the production of about 25 Apollo head obverses from Leontinoi of which this one is probably the rarest (this includes the two dies usually attributed to the Demaretion master). An example of this die is lacking from Gulbenkian, Moretti, Kunstfreund, Hunt, and many other major collections.
This is the only Leontinoi die of the Apollo head type which fully expresses the middle to mature Greek archaic stylistic idiom, c.550-490 B.C., in its adoption of the Greek archaic anatomic conventions of eye structure, a high cheek and prominent lips forming the archaic smile, and defined protuberant chin.
Estimate: $12,500