Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 126 17 Nov 2021
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Islands off Attica, Aegina
Stater circa 530-510, AR 12.22 g. Sea turtle, with three dots on collar and row of dots down its back. Rev. Deep incuse square. Dewing 1655. Boston, MFA 1106. Holloway, ANSMN 17, pl. VIII, 9 (these dies). Milbank pl. I, 2. Rosen 208 (this coin)
Extremely rare and undoubtedly one of the earliest issues of Aegina. In unusually good
condition for such an early type. Struck in high relief and with a lovely old cabinet
tone, minor area of weakness on obverse, otherwise extremely fine
Privately purchased at TEFAF 2011 and from the Rosen collection.
This exceptionally preserved silver stater belongs to the very first issue produced by Aegina in the late sixth century BC. Aegina holds a very special place in the history of Greek coinage in that it was held by such ancient authorities as Ephorus of Cyme and the author of the Parian Chronicle that it was the first city in Greece to strike silver coins. However, according to their chronologies, silver coinage was introduced at Aegina implausibly early, in the late eighth or early seventh century BC, while the city was ruled by the Argive tyrant Pheidon. Indeed, this same Pheidon was also said to have been responsible for inventing the names of the coin denominations obol and drachma and providing systems of weights and measures that came into use throughout the Peloponnesus. While Pheidon cannot have been responsible for the beginning of silver coinage at Aegina the traditions associated with him do reflect the great impact that Aeginetic coinage had on the Peloponnesus. The city's coins, which came to be known simply as "turtles" after the image of the sea turtle on the obverse, circulated widely throughout southern Greece causing the Aeginetic weight standard to become preferred in the region, seemingly echoing the memory of Pheidon's influential weights and coin denominations. The Aeginetic weight standard was so popular that it was still employed by Peloponnesian mints into the third century BC. It has been surmised that the lighter symmachic standard was adopted in the mid to late third century BC in response to the many earlier Aeginetic -standard coins that continued to circulate despite their loss of weight due to wear. Despite the waning of Aegina's political and economic fortunes already in the late fifth century BC, the influence of the city's turtles in the Peloponnesus was very long indeed.
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Stater circa 530-510, AR 12.22 g. Sea turtle, with three dots on collar and row of dots down its back. Rev. Deep incuse square. Dewing 1655. Boston, MFA 1106. Holloway, ANSMN 17, pl. VIII, 9 (these dies). Milbank pl. I, 2. Rosen 208 (this coin)
Extremely rare and undoubtedly one of the earliest issues of Aegina. In unusually good
condition for such an early type. Struck in high relief and with a lovely old cabinet
tone, minor area of weakness on obverse, otherwise extremely fine
Privately purchased at TEFAF 2011 and from the Rosen collection.
This exceptionally preserved silver stater belongs to the very first issue produced by Aegina in the late sixth century BC. Aegina holds a very special place in the history of Greek coinage in that it was held by such ancient authorities as Ephorus of Cyme and the author of the Parian Chronicle that it was the first city in Greece to strike silver coins. However, according to their chronologies, silver coinage was introduced at Aegina implausibly early, in the late eighth or early seventh century BC, while the city was ruled by the Argive tyrant Pheidon. Indeed, this same Pheidon was also said to have been responsible for inventing the names of the coin denominations obol and drachma and providing systems of weights and measures that came into use throughout the Peloponnesus. While Pheidon cannot have been responsible for the beginning of silver coinage at Aegina the traditions associated with him do reflect the great impact that Aeginetic coinage had on the Peloponnesus. The city's coins, which came to be known simply as "turtles" after the image of the sea turtle on the obverse, circulated widely throughout southern Greece causing the Aeginetic weight standard to become preferred in the region, seemingly echoing the memory of Pheidon's influential weights and coin denominations. The Aeginetic weight standard was so popular that it was still employed by Peloponnesian mints into the third century BC. It has been surmised that the lighter symmachic standard was adopted in the mid to late third century BC in response to the many earlier Aeginetic -standard coins that continued to circulate despite their loss of weight due to wear. Despite the waning of Aegina's political and economic fortunes already in the late fifth century BC, the influence of the city's turtles in the Peloponnesus was very long indeed.
View a video of this lot