Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3030 5-6 January 2014
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Ancients
IONIA. Chios or Miletus (?). Ca. 640-590 BC. EL stater (23mm, 14.07 gm). Bird or sphinx standing/seated right, in tondo of Greek shield, stars, letters, or uncertain symbols around, circular dentate border / Incuse square with rough interior. Unpublished and perhaps unique! Obverse strike muddled, exceptionally clear reverse punch. Good Very Fine / Extremely Fine. A very puzzling and possibly important issue. The weight standard and fabric suggest an issue of Miletus or Chios; the latter issued coins with a sphinx motif in the later 6th century BC, but the extremely archaic form of incuse suggests a much earlier date, in the late 7th or early 6th centuries BC. The lozenge-shaped flan is reminiscent of Miletus, however the single incuse square suggests a different but related mint. The very detailed dentate border suggests the obverse design is supposed to represent a decorated Greek shield (a hoplon or aspis).
Estimate: 16000-20000 USD
IONIA. Chios or Miletus (?). Ca. 640-590 BC. EL stater (23mm, 14.07 gm). Bird or sphinx standing/seated right, in tondo of Greek shield, stars, letters, or uncertain symbols around, circular dentate border / Incuse square with rough interior. Unpublished and perhaps unique! Obverse strike muddled, exceptionally clear reverse punch. Good Very Fine / Extremely Fine. A very puzzling and possibly important issue. The weight standard and fabric suggest an issue of Miletus or Chios; the latter issued coins with a sphinx motif in the later 6th century BC, but the extremely archaic form of incuse suggests a much earlier date, in the late 7th or early 6th centuries BC. The lozenge-shaped flan is reminiscent of Miletus, however the single incuse square suggests a different but related mint. The very detailed dentate border suggests the obverse design is supposed to represent a decorated Greek shield (a hoplon or aspis).
Estimate: 16000-20000 USD