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January Signature Sale 3089 21-22 Jan 2021
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Ancients
SICILY. Catana. Ca. 415-403/2 BC. AR tetradrachm (27mm, 17.25 gm, 2h). NGC AU★ 5/5 - 5/5, Fine Style. Ca. 410 BC. Obverse die signed by Heracleidas. Charioteer driving unruly galloping quadriga left, reins in both hands and bending forward in an attempt to control the team; Nike flying right above crowning charioteer, H (signature) below triple exergual line / KATANAIΩN, youthful head of Apollo (?) left, wearing taenia; crayfish upward behind. Rizzo pl. 14, 3 (same dies). SNG Lloyd 900 (same dies). Gulbenkian 187 and Jameson 543 (same dies without the crayfish).
From the Penn Collection. Ex Triton I (2 December 1997), lot 245; Bank Leu Auktion 52 (15 May 1991), lot 14
The identification of the male head on the reverse of this coin has traditionally been assigned to Apollo, the patron deity of the city whose portrait appears on other issues from this same period. However, the lack of the laurel wreath, the loose and flowing locks of hair, and the crayfish, point to a different deity, possibly the local river-god Amenanus. The issue with that proposal, though he appears on other issues of Catana, is the lack of horns. Earlier pairings of these dies show the reverse die did not originally display the crayfish - it was added at a later phase of production, perhaps to emphasize the portrait was not of Apollo. Heracleidas engraved many dies for Catana, signing with his complete name on the famous facing Apollo head, which is how we know the dies on this issue is his with just the simple signature 'H'.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-sicily-catana-ca-415-403-2-bc-ar-tetradrachm-27mm-1725-gm-2h-ngc-auand-9733-5-5-5-5-fine-style/a/3089-31002.s?type=CoinArchives3089
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 10000-15000 USD
SICILY. Catana. Ca. 415-403/2 BC. AR tetradrachm (27mm, 17.25 gm, 2h). NGC AU★ 5/5 - 5/5, Fine Style. Ca. 410 BC. Obverse die signed by Heracleidas. Charioteer driving unruly galloping quadriga left, reins in both hands and bending forward in an attempt to control the team; Nike flying right above crowning charioteer, H (signature) below triple exergual line / KATANAIΩN, youthful head of Apollo (?) left, wearing taenia; crayfish upward behind. Rizzo pl. 14, 3 (same dies). SNG Lloyd 900 (same dies). Gulbenkian 187 and Jameson 543 (same dies without the crayfish).
From the Penn Collection. Ex Triton I (2 December 1997), lot 245; Bank Leu Auktion 52 (15 May 1991), lot 14
The identification of the male head on the reverse of this coin has traditionally been assigned to Apollo, the patron deity of the city whose portrait appears on other issues from this same period. However, the lack of the laurel wreath, the loose and flowing locks of hair, and the crayfish, point to a different deity, possibly the local river-god Amenanus. The issue with that proposal, though he appears on other issues of Catana, is the lack of horns. Earlier pairings of these dies show the reverse die did not originally display the crayfish - it was added at a later phase of production, perhaps to emphasize the portrait was not of Apollo. Heracleidas engraved many dies for Catana, signing with his complete name on the famous facing Apollo head, which is how we know the dies on this issue is his with just the simple signature 'H'.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-sicily-catana-ca-415-403-2-bc-ar-tetradrachm-27mm-1725-gm-2h-ngc-auand-9733-5-5-5-5-fine-style/a/3089-31002.s?type=CoinArchives3089
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 10000-15000 USD