Nomos AG
Auction 28 22 May 2023
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LOKRIS. Lokris Opuntii. Circa 300-275 BC. Tetrobol (Silver, 16 mm, 2.69 g, 11 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet with back flap. Rev. ΛΟΚΡΩΝ Warrior, almost certainly Ajax, nude but for a laurel (?) wreath, advancing to right, holding, with his left hand, a shield, the interior of which is ornamented with a hippocamp to right, and, in his right, a short sword; in the lower right field, trident head upwards to right. BCD Lokris 105 (this reverse die). BMC 44 (this reverse die). Humphris & Delbridge, Corpus, Group 14a, 7 (O2/R1). SNG Copenhagen 62. Well-centered, clear, attractive and lightly toned. Good very fine.
From a European collection, formed prior to 2005.
In the BCD catalogue the eminent writer suggested that the figure on the reverse of this type was actually Poseidon because he was bare-headed, unlike the usually helmeted Ajax. However, that cataloguer, due to the imperfect condition of the coins available to him, did not note that the figure is actually wearing a laurel wreath, as we can clearly see here. Given how similar the weights of the triobols/hemidrachms are to those of the tetrobols, the difference in reverse type must to have helped to mark them apart.
From a European collection, formed prior to 2005.
In the BCD catalogue the eminent writer suggested that the figure on the reverse of this type was actually Poseidon because he was bare-headed, unlike the usually helmeted Ajax. However, that cataloguer, due to the imperfect condition of the coins available to him, did not note that the figure is actually wearing a laurel wreath, as we can clearly see here. Given how similar the weights of the triobols/hemidrachms are to those of the tetrobols, the difference in reverse type must to have helped to mark them apart.