Nomos AG
Auction 26 21 May 2023
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
SICILY. Selinos. Circa 415-409 BC. Litra (Silver, 12 mm, 0.72 g, 1 h). Nymph seated to left on a rock; raising her veil over her head with her upraised left hand and, with her right, grasping the neck of a serpent coiled to right before; in the field above, selinon leaf. Rev. ΣΕΛΙΝΟΕΣ Man-headed bull walking to right; in emerge, grey mullet swimming to right. Bérend, Réflexions, p. 19 and pl. 2, 26 (this coin). Buceti 40a. SNG ANS 711, SNG Lloyd 1271, SNG Lockett 866 (this coin) and Weber 1538 (all struck from the same dies as this). Very nicely struck and centered on a broad flan, lightly toned. Nearly extremely fine.
From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, from the collections of Leo Mildenberg and R. C. Lockett, I, Glendining & Co., 25 October 1955, 752, ex Naville V, 18 June 1923, 1010.
Selinos was founded by colonists from eastern Sicilian city of Megara Hyblaea in either 651/650 or 628 BC on a defensible site with a harbour and two acropoli between two rivers. It became one of the richest cities in Sicily and was renowned for its multitude of major temples. Exactly what this nymph is doing with the snake is somewhat unclear: she is almost certainly not protecting herself from him; rather, she seems to be holding him in an affectionate way (assuming one can be affectionate with a snake). The river god on the reverse of this coin is shown in the usual way, as Acheloos, who was the god of all rivers. The actual gods of the rivers around Selinos - the Hypsas and the Selinos, among others - were shown as young men, only distinguishable from ephebes by the little horns on their heads.
From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, from the collections of Leo Mildenberg and R. C. Lockett, I, Glendining & Co., 25 October 1955, 752, ex Naville V, 18 June 1923, 1010.
Selinos was founded by colonists from eastern Sicilian city of Megara Hyblaea in either 651/650 or 628 BC on a defensible site with a harbour and two acropoli between two rivers. It became one of the richest cities in Sicily and was renowned for its multitude of major temples. Exactly what this nymph is doing with the snake is somewhat unclear: she is almost certainly not protecting herself from him; rather, she seems to be holding him in an affectionate way (assuming one can be affectionate with a snake). The river god on the reverse of this coin is shown in the usual way, as Acheloos, who was the god of all rivers. The actual gods of the rivers around Selinos - the Hypsas and the Selinos, among others - were shown as young men, only distinguishable from ephebes by the little horns on their heads.