Nomos AG
Auction 30 6 Nov 2023
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ETRURIA. Pisae. 4th-3rd century BC. Diobol (Silver, 11 mm, 0.92 g). Seven-armed octopus; around, raised circular border. Rev. Blank. Cf. CsP I, 2023, 13 (but octopus with six arms). HN III 227. Vecchi EC 5.16 (this coin). Very rare. Attractive dark toning. Minor striking splits on the edge, otherwise, good very fine.
From the Dr. Paul Peter Urone Collection, and from the Campana collection, Sternberg XXXI, 27 October 1996, 7 and Kunst und Münzen FPL 50, October 1982, 7.
Unlike many places in the ancient world, the waters around Etruria seem to have had cephalopods with varying numbers of arms. Most seem to have had 8, but here we have one with 7 and in CsP (I, 13) we had one with 6. But, of course, the Etruscans were a mysterious people so it is understandable that they had mysterious hexapodi and heptapodi!
From the Dr. Paul Peter Urone Collection, and from the Campana collection, Sternberg XXXI, 27 October 1996, 7 and Kunst und Münzen FPL 50, October 1982, 7.
Unlike many places in the ancient world, the waters around Etruria seem to have had cephalopods with varying numbers of arms. Most seem to have had 8, but here we have one with 7 and in CsP (I, 13) we had one with 6. But, of course, the Etruscans were a mysterious people so it is understandable that they had mysterious hexapodi and heptapodi!