Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XX 29-30 Oct 2020
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Sicily, Messana AR Tetradrachm. 412-408 BC. Charioteer, holding kentron in right hand and reins in left, driving slow mule-biga to left; two dolphins confronted in exergue / Hare springing to right, dove (and traces of signature [ANAN or ANAΛ]?) above, grain stalk below; MEΣΣANIOΣ in exergue. Caltabiano Series XVA, 615 (D220/R242); Rizzo pl. XXVII, 6 (same dies) = Jameson 657 (same dies) = L. Forrer, Notes sur les signatures de graveurs sur les monnaies grecques (Brussels, 1906), p. 23 (same dies) = A.J. Evans, "Contributions to Sicilian Numismatics -II" in NC 1896, p. 123 (same dies); SNG ANS 378 (same obv. die); SNG Lloyd 1104 (same dies); HGC 2, 797 (same obv. die). 17.34g, 26mm, 11h.
Mint State. Very Rare.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Acquired from Classical Numismatic Group.
Rizzo, Jameson, Forrer, and Evans all mention the appearance of small letters visible to the left of the bird on the reverse; not easily discerned on this specimen but clearly present and partially legible on their coin. A signature on this tetradrachm issue of Messana would not be unusual or unexpected; the artist who signed his name 'ΣΙΜΙΝ' was active at Messana in this same period (cf. SNG ANS 381; Jameson 653). Caltabiano does not note this signature in her corpus, but then again she also doubted the existence of the ΣΙΜΙΝ signature, apparently because she did not examine the Bunker Hunt specimen (Sotheby's NY, 21 June 1990, lot 238, formerly in the Käpelli collection) on which the signature is clear. Her omission could also easily be an honest oversight given that whatever was originally engraved here was evidently quickly obliterated from the die.
Mint State. Very Rare.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Acquired from Classical Numismatic Group.
Rizzo, Jameson, Forrer, and Evans all mention the appearance of small letters visible to the left of the bird on the reverse; not easily discerned on this specimen but clearly present and partially legible on their coin. A signature on this tetradrachm issue of Messana would not be unusual or unexpected; the artist who signed his name 'ΣΙΜΙΝ' was active at Messana in this same period (cf. SNG ANS 381; Jameson 653). Caltabiano does not note this signature in her corpus, but then again she also doubted the existence of the ΣΙΜΙΝ signature, apparently because she did not examine the Bunker Hunt specimen (Sotheby's NY, 21 June 1990, lot 238, formerly in the Käpelli collection) on which the signature is clear. Her omission could also easily be an honest oversight given that whatever was originally engraved here was evidently quickly obliterated from the die.