Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 134 21 Nov 2022
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Greek Coins. Neapolis.
Didrachm circa 395-385, AR 7.62 g. Head of nymph Parthenope r., wearing diadem, earring and necklace. Rev. Man-headed bull advancing r., crowned by Nike flying r.; in exergue, NEOΠΟΛΙΤ[ΗΣ]. Sambon 364 (this coin). SNG ANS 294. Rutter –. Historia Numorum Italy 563.
In exceptional condition for the issue. A portrait of Parthenope of great beauty, the work
of a very skilled master-engraver, undoubtedly one of the finest of the entire series.
Struck on fresh metal and with a wonderful old cabinet tone. Good extremely fine
Ex Sambon-Canessa 11-12 December 1901, von Wotoch, 65, Vinchon 14 April 1984, Comtesse de Béhague, 4 and NAC 13, 1998, formerly exhibited at the Antikenmuseum Basel, 44 sales. From the Athos and Dina Moretti collection and from the collection of an aesthete.
In circa 470 BC, Cumae established a new colony on the coast of Campania to bolster the port settlement at Parthenope, which had existed since the seventh century BC. The new foundation was called (somewhat unoriginally) Neapolis ("New City") while Parthenope, in contrast, came to be known as Palaipolis ("Old City"). As a means of ensuring the survival of the Greek colony, the Neapolitans entered into alliances and friendly trade relationships with the neighbouring and warlike Italic peoples, most of whom were Samnites or related Oscan-speakers. Unfortunately, as the rising power of Rome came into conflict with the Samnites, Neapolis found itself drawn into the fighting. The accusation that the Neapolitans were harbouring Samnites responsible for attacking Romans in Campania touched off the Second Samnite War (327-301 BC). When Neapolis refused to surrender the guilty men and instead accepted a Samnite garrison the city was besieged by the forces of the Roman consul P. Publilius Philo. The city was valiantly defended, but at last starvation compelled the Neapolitans to trick the garrison into taking up a position in Palaiopolis and admit the Romans. Although Publilius celebrated a triumph in Rome for this somewhat less than glorious conquest, Neapolis was subsequently treated as an equal ally. The present didrachm was struck in the early fourth century BC, before the beginning of the Roman Samnite Wars, when Neapolis was expanding its influence among its Italic neighbours. The head of the nymph Parthenope appears on the obverse in recognition of the original settlement that was absorbed to serve as the Paliopolis to the new settlement of Neapolis. The reverse features a man-faced bull-a type closely associated with Neapolis and Campania in general.
This didrachm of Neapolis comes both from the prestigious von Wotoch collection, sold by Sambon in 1901, and from the Comtessse de Béhague collection, sold by Vinchon in 1984. In the same auction catalogue, on the following lot, was present the wonderful didrachm, from the Comtesse de Béhague and Prospero collections, which was sold in our auction 124, lot 8. These two coins were described by Arthur Sambon in his monumental work on the coinage of South Italy: "as the two most beautiful coins of Neapolis of this period". An opinion that we share, but we would add another coin, which has been struck slightly later, the extraordinary specimen ex Garucci, Barron, Evans, Lockett and Kunstfreund, which was sold in NAC auction 23, lot 1009 and it is now at the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston.
Didrachm circa 395-385, AR 7.62 g. Head of nymph Parthenope r., wearing diadem, earring and necklace. Rev. Man-headed bull advancing r., crowned by Nike flying r.; in exergue, NEOΠΟΛΙΤ[ΗΣ]. Sambon 364 (this coin). SNG ANS 294. Rutter –. Historia Numorum Italy 563.
In exceptional condition for the issue. A portrait of Parthenope of great beauty, the work
of a very skilled master-engraver, undoubtedly one of the finest of the entire series.
Struck on fresh metal and with a wonderful old cabinet tone. Good extremely fine
Ex Sambon-Canessa 11-12 December 1901, von Wotoch, 65, Vinchon 14 April 1984, Comtesse de Béhague, 4 and NAC 13, 1998, formerly exhibited at the Antikenmuseum Basel, 44 sales. From the Athos and Dina Moretti collection and from the collection of an aesthete.
In circa 470 BC, Cumae established a new colony on the coast of Campania to bolster the port settlement at Parthenope, which had existed since the seventh century BC. The new foundation was called (somewhat unoriginally) Neapolis ("New City") while Parthenope, in contrast, came to be known as Palaipolis ("Old City"). As a means of ensuring the survival of the Greek colony, the Neapolitans entered into alliances and friendly trade relationships with the neighbouring and warlike Italic peoples, most of whom were Samnites or related Oscan-speakers. Unfortunately, as the rising power of Rome came into conflict with the Samnites, Neapolis found itself drawn into the fighting. The accusation that the Neapolitans were harbouring Samnites responsible for attacking Romans in Campania touched off the Second Samnite War (327-301 BC). When Neapolis refused to surrender the guilty men and instead accepted a Samnite garrison the city was besieged by the forces of the Roman consul P. Publilius Philo. The city was valiantly defended, but at last starvation compelled the Neapolitans to trick the garrison into taking up a position in Palaiopolis and admit the Romans. Although Publilius celebrated a triumph in Rome for this somewhat less than glorious conquest, Neapolis was subsequently treated as an equal ally. The present didrachm was struck in the early fourth century BC, before the beginning of the Roman Samnite Wars, when Neapolis was expanding its influence among its Italic neighbours. The head of the nymph Parthenope appears on the obverse in recognition of the original settlement that was absorbed to serve as the Paliopolis to the new settlement of Neapolis. The reverse features a man-faced bull-a type closely associated with Neapolis and Campania in general.
This didrachm of Neapolis comes both from the prestigious von Wotoch collection, sold by Sambon in 1901, and from the Comtessse de Béhague collection, sold by Vinchon in 1984. In the same auction catalogue, on the following lot, was present the wonderful didrachm, from the Comtesse de Béhague and Prospero collections, which was sold in our auction 124, lot 8. These two coins were described by Arthur Sambon in his monumental work on the coinage of South Italy: "as the two most beautiful coins of Neapolis of this period". An opinion that we share, but we would add another coin, which has been struck slightly later, the extraordinary specimen ex Garucci, Barron, Evans, Lockett and Kunstfreund, which was sold in NAC auction 23, lot 1009 and it is now at the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston.