Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 126 17 Nov 2021
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Leontini
Tetradrachm of the Demareteion type circa 470, AR 16.76 g. Slow quadriga driven r. by charioteer holding kentron and reins; above Nike flying l. to crown him. In exergue, lion springing r. Rev. ΛEO – NTI – NO – N retrograde Laureate head of Apollo r.; hair plaited behind the neck. Around, three laurel leaves; below neck truncation, lion springing r. Rizzo pl. XXII, 14 (these dies). Boehringer, Studies Price, 28. SNG Lloyd 1045. Gillet 439. SNG ANS 217 (these dies). de Sartiges 101 (this coin). Jenkins 233. Kraay-Hirmer pl. 6, 19 (these dies). Gulbenkian 211 (these dies). Dewing 622.
Very rare. An interesting and unusual portrait of Apollo struck on fresh metal and with
a lovely iridescent tone. A small scratch on obverse field and unobtrusive traces
of overstriking on obverse, otherwise good very fine
Ex Vinchon 13 April 1985, Pflieger, 92 and New York XXVII, 2012, Prospero, 136 sales. Previously privately purchased from Spink in 1988. From the Vimconte de Sartiges collection.
Like Catana, Leontinoi was also a colony established by Sicilian Naxos in the late eighth century BC. The city has the dubious reputation of being the first of Sicily in which the government was taken over by a tyrant. In c. 608 BC, the oligarchic constitution of Leontinoi was overthrown by a certain Panaitios who subsequently ruled as the city's strong man. His success as tyrant inspired other like-minded individuals in Sicily to establish tyrannies in their own cities-a fashion in Sicilian Greek politics that did not die out until the third century BC. Unfortunately for Leontinoi, however, while it may have been the first city of Greek Sicily with its own tyrant, it turned out not to be the strongest. In c. 496/5 BC, Leontinoi was conquered by Hippokrates, the tyrant of Gela and by 476 BC the city found itself under the domination of Hieron I of Syracuse. In this year the Syracusan tyrant forcibly expelled the populations of Katane and Naxos and resettled them at Leontinoi. The Leontines hosted their dispossessed fellow Chalkidian Greeks until the death of Hieron I in 467 BC, when they were able to return to their original homes and Leontinoi again became an autonomous city free from Syracusan control. This outstanding tetradrachm of Leontinoi was struck during the period of Hieron's domination of the city, probably in connection with the expenses related to hosting the Katanaians and Naxians or to the tyrant's foundation of the city of Aitna using their territory. As might be expected in this period, the beautifully executed and preserved types reflect the strong influence of the contemporary coinage of Syracuse. The slow quadriga obverse is drawn directly from Syracusan tetradrachms struck under Hieron I while the head of Apollo on the reverse takes many of its cues from that of Arethusa on the Syracusan issues. In the same way that the head of Arethusa is regularly encircled by four dolphins, here the head of Apollo is encircled by three laurel leaves and a lion. The lion (leon in Greek), which also occurs on the obverse, was the punning badge of the city.
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Tetradrachm of the Demareteion type circa 470, AR 16.76 g. Slow quadriga driven r. by charioteer holding kentron and reins; above Nike flying l. to crown him. In exergue, lion springing r. Rev. ΛEO – NTI – NO – N retrograde Laureate head of Apollo r.; hair plaited behind the neck. Around, three laurel leaves; below neck truncation, lion springing r. Rizzo pl. XXII, 14 (these dies). Boehringer, Studies Price, 28. SNG Lloyd 1045. Gillet 439. SNG ANS 217 (these dies). de Sartiges 101 (this coin). Jenkins 233. Kraay-Hirmer pl. 6, 19 (these dies). Gulbenkian 211 (these dies). Dewing 622.
Very rare. An interesting and unusual portrait of Apollo struck on fresh metal and with
a lovely iridescent tone. A small scratch on obverse field and unobtrusive traces
of overstriking on obverse, otherwise good very fine
Ex Vinchon 13 April 1985, Pflieger, 92 and New York XXVII, 2012, Prospero, 136 sales. Previously privately purchased from Spink in 1988. From the Vimconte de Sartiges collection.
Like Catana, Leontinoi was also a colony established by Sicilian Naxos in the late eighth century BC. The city has the dubious reputation of being the first of Sicily in which the government was taken over by a tyrant. In c. 608 BC, the oligarchic constitution of Leontinoi was overthrown by a certain Panaitios who subsequently ruled as the city's strong man. His success as tyrant inspired other like-minded individuals in Sicily to establish tyrannies in their own cities-a fashion in Sicilian Greek politics that did not die out until the third century BC. Unfortunately for Leontinoi, however, while it may have been the first city of Greek Sicily with its own tyrant, it turned out not to be the strongest. In c. 496/5 BC, Leontinoi was conquered by Hippokrates, the tyrant of Gela and by 476 BC the city found itself under the domination of Hieron I of Syracuse. In this year the Syracusan tyrant forcibly expelled the populations of Katane and Naxos and resettled them at Leontinoi. The Leontines hosted their dispossessed fellow Chalkidian Greeks until the death of Hieron I in 467 BC, when they were able to return to their original homes and Leontinoi again became an autonomous city free from Syracusan control. This outstanding tetradrachm of Leontinoi was struck during the period of Hieron's domination of the city, probably in connection with the expenses related to hosting the Katanaians and Naxians or to the tyrant's foundation of the city of Aitna using their territory. As might be expected in this period, the beautifully executed and preserved types reflect the strong influence of the contemporary coinage of Syracuse. The slow quadriga obverse is drawn directly from Syracusan tetradrachms struck under Hieron I while the head of Apollo on the reverse takes many of its cues from that of Arethusa on the Syracusan issues. In the same way that the head of Arethusa is regularly encircled by four dolphins, here the head of Apollo is encircled by three laurel leaves and a lion. The lion (leon in Greek), which also occurs on the obverse, was the punning badge of the city.
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