Nomos AG
Auction 26 21 May 2023
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SICILY. Panormos (as Ziz). Circa 405-380 BC. Pentonkion (Silver, 8 mm, 0.25 g, 3 h). Female head to right, her hair bound up with a taenia; border of dots. Rev. Large letter Π, with the left hasta shorter than the right. Buceti 56 (this coin). Manganaro, Mikrà 29 and pl. 5, 70 (this coin). Apparently unique. Toned. Good very fine.
From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, and from the collection of A. D. Moretti, The New York Sale XI, 11 January 2006, 70.
The attribution of this coin was made by Manganaro on the basis of the pi on the reverse (i.e., panormitan), but since he also viewed the pi as a denomination mark for pentonkion his logic seems a bit confused. To be even more complicated he dated the coin to c. 440-425, which suggests that he thought it rational that a Punic city would be issuing coins with Greek denominational marks (not to mention ethnics) rather than Punic ones (though there are late 5th century tetrantes that do bear a Greek ethnic, ΠΑΝ). Finally, the style of the head on this coin is unlike anything else known from Panormos. However, it seems that Moretti thought this coin was from Panormos, so de mortuis non nisi bonum, why should we disagree?
From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, and from the collection of A. D. Moretti, The New York Sale XI, 11 January 2006, 70.
The attribution of this coin was made by Manganaro on the basis of the pi on the reverse (i.e., panormitan), but since he also viewed the pi as a denomination mark for pentonkion his logic seems a bit confused. To be even more complicated he dated the coin to c. 440-425, which suggests that he thought it rational that a Punic city would be issuing coins with Greek denominational marks (not to mention ethnics) rather than Punic ones (though there are late 5th century tetrantes that do bear a Greek ethnic, ΠΑΝ). Finally, the style of the head on this coin is unlike anything else known from Panormos. However, it seems that Moretti thought this coin was from Panormos, so de mortuis non nisi bonum, why should we disagree?