Greek Silver & Bronze Coins
Lot 3438 SESSION 11 (9.30am Thursday 23 July) Greek Silver & Bronze Coins
Estimate $2,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
THRACE, Island of Thrace, Thasos, (c.410 B.C.), silver stater, (8.312 grams), obv. naked ithyphallic Satyr (classical style) in kneeling running attitude carrying off nymph hand is extended beyond the Satyr's back, who is bearded, A to right, rev. quadripartite incuse square, (S.1747, BMC 30, Le Rider Guide de Thasos, 6, Kraay-Hirmer 437, Gulbenkian 464, ACGC 521). Very fine, flan crack with good facial and phallic detail, very scarce.
The capture of Thasos in 463 BC by the Athenians after its revolt two years earlier could well have terminated the series of the late archaic and early classical staters. Between the years 435-411 the old satyr and nymph theme was revived, but the artistic style was very different. The forcible rape of the nymph by a bestial satyr has become a "fling" of a not unwilling lady in the arms of an almost human abductor. An admirable die engraving masterpiece at the apogee of the Greek high Classical artistic period, when Polykleitos of Argos was said to have been unsurpassed in making images of people, as Phidias was of gods. A similar example in the A. Tkalec auction of May 2009 (lot 29) struck from the same dies with similar flan cracks realised 6800 Swiss Francs at that sale.
Estimate / sale price does not include buyer's premium (currently 22% including GST) which is added to hammer price. All bids are executed on the understanding that the Terms & Conditions of sale have been read and accepted. For information on grading and estimates please refer to the Buying at Auction advice.
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Adjacent lots
Lot 3436
THRACE, Maroneia, (late 2nd century B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.19 grams), obv. head of young Dionysos ...
Estimate $600
Lot 3437
THRACE, Philippopolis, Antoninus Pius, (A.D. 138-161), AE 17, (4.536 grams), obv. Antoninus Pius laureate head ...
Estimate $120
Lot 3438 This lot
THRACE, Island of Thrace, Thasos, (c.410 B.C.), silver stater, (8.312 grams), obv. naked ithyphallic Satyr ...
Estimate $2,500
Lot 3439
THRACE, Kingdom of, Lysimachos, (323-281 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.904 grams), Ephesos mint, issued 294-287 B.C., ...
Estimate $700
Lot 3440
THRACE, Kingdom of, Lysimachos, (323-281 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.498 grams), Pella mint, issued 286/5-282/1 B.C., ...
Estimate $800