The New York Sale
Auction 30 9 January 2013
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ANCIENT COINS. GREEK. Sicily, Syracuse, Dionysios I (c.405-367 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 14.89g, 1h. Signed by Eukleidas, struck c.405-400 B.C. Female charioteer, wearing a long chiton, driving a racing quadriga to left, holding the reins and raising a flaming torch, Nike flies above to right to crown the charioteer, an ear of barley in the exergue. Rev. [ΣY-P]-AK-OΣIΩN, head of Athena facing, slightly inclined to the left, her hair falling in waves, wearing a triple-crested Attic helmet adorned with palmettes, and wearing earrings and a necklace of pendant acorns with a central medallion, the signature EYK-ΛEIΔ / A across the bowl of the helmet, two pairs of dolphins on either side (Tudeer 58 (V21/R36); Rizzo, pl. XLV, 4a, 5 (these dies); Kraay – Hirmer, colour plate IV, 111 (this reverse die); SNG Lloyd 1384 (these dies)). Some light surface erosion affecting mostly the obverse, with only light traces on the reverse, a little under-weight thus. A magnificent masterpiece of the greatest artistic beauty and an important issue, toning, good very fine to nearly extremely fine. Very rare.
Ex Numismatic Fine Arts, Auction XXII, Beverly Hills, 1 June 1989, lot 211
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 6, Zurich, 11 March 1993, lot 93
Eukleidas was a very distinguished master engraver and, together with the work of the other Sicilian artists of his generation, has given the late 5th Century coinage of Syracuse the reputation of being the most beautiful ever produced. His three-quarter facing head of Athena is without doubt his greatest achievement, and he signed the die as a record of his work. Eukleidas's reverse die was in fact the very first of the Syracusan issues to depict a facing head. It was of course more usual for Arethusa, rather than Athena, to appear on the coinage of Syracuse. It has been suggested in the past that the facing head on this coin could be that of Arethusa, wearing the helmet of Athena in commemoration of the Syracusan victory following the Athenian invasion in 415 B.C. However there is no real justification to dispute that the head is that of Athena, given that she was also honoured at Syracuse and that a temple was devoted to her on the island of Ortygia.
Eukleidas's facing head tetradrachm was an extremely important innovation in die-engraving, illustrating the potential that could be achieved by the late 5th Century at Syracuse. The artist Kimon, influenced by Eukleidas, soon went on to create his great Arethusa facing head tetradrachm (see lot 55), this time bringing the design to the obverse of the coin, and it in turn served as an important influence on other coinages in the ancient Greek world. This influence can be traced back to Eukleidas's original facing head of Athena, a legacy of the finest talent of the Sicilian die engravers, and a true masterpiece of late 5th Century numismatic art.
Estimate: $50,000
Ex Numismatic Fine Arts, Auction XXII, Beverly Hills, 1 June 1989, lot 211
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 6, Zurich, 11 March 1993, lot 93
Eukleidas was a very distinguished master engraver and, together with the work of the other Sicilian artists of his generation, has given the late 5th Century coinage of Syracuse the reputation of being the most beautiful ever produced. His three-quarter facing head of Athena is without doubt his greatest achievement, and he signed the die as a record of his work. Eukleidas's reverse die was in fact the very first of the Syracusan issues to depict a facing head. It was of course more usual for Arethusa, rather than Athena, to appear on the coinage of Syracuse. It has been suggested in the past that the facing head on this coin could be that of Arethusa, wearing the helmet of Athena in commemoration of the Syracusan victory following the Athenian invasion in 415 B.C. However there is no real justification to dispute that the head is that of Athena, given that she was also honoured at Syracuse and that a temple was devoted to her on the island of Ortygia.
Eukleidas's facing head tetradrachm was an extremely important innovation in die-engraving, illustrating the potential that could be achieved by the late 5th Century at Syracuse. The artist Kimon, influenced by Eukleidas, soon went on to create his great Arethusa facing head tetradrachm (see lot 55), this time bringing the design to the obverse of the coin, and it in turn served as an important influence on other coinages in the ancient Greek world. This influence can be traced back to Eukleidas's original facing head of Athena, a legacy of the finest talent of the Sicilian die engravers, and a true masterpiece of late 5th Century numismatic art.
Estimate: $50,000