Nomos AG
Auction 26 21 May 2023
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MACEDON. Bottiaians of Bottike. Circa 500-475 BC. Trihemiobol (Silver, 9 mm, 0.84 g), Kalindoia. Jugate heads to right of Europa, her hair bound in a taenia, wearing a disc earring and a pearl necklace, and a bull. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. HGC 3, 1, 344. HPM p. 68, 4 and pl. VI, 8. Tzamalis 14. Very rare. Very well-struck, attractive and with a head of Europa of fine Archaic style. Some slight deposits, otherwise, extremely fine.
From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions.
This is quite a remarkable coin, in a mythically-related way. Here we have Europa, presumably calm and content, despite having been abducted from her native Crete by Zeus in the form of a bull, who, in fact, is right next to her. Her calmness may be explained by her family history: she was both Phoenician and Argive (!), from a family descended from Io, a nymph who was also loved by Zeus, but one he transformed into a heifer. Complicated, isn't it!
From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions.
This is quite a remarkable coin, in a mythically-related way. Here we have Europa, presumably calm and content, despite having been abducted from her native Crete by Zeus in the form of a bull, who, in fact, is right next to her. Her calmness may be explained by her family history: she was both Phoenician and Argive (!), from a family descended from Io, a nymph who was also loved by Zeus, but one he transformed into a heifer. Complicated, isn't it!