Greek Silver & Bronze

Lot 3249    Session 11 (9.30am Thursday)    Greek Silver & Bronze

Estimate $750
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $600

CILICIA, Satrap of Cilicia, Datames, (378-372 B.C.) silver stater, (10.600 grams), Tarsus mint, obv. female head three-quarter face to left, wearing sphendone and necklace, rev. male head to right (Ares?), bearded wearing crested Athenian helmet, behind Aramaic legend 'Trdmw (Datame)' (S.5640, cf.BMC 17, SNG Levante 78-9 [similar dies], SNG France 2, 258-270 [similar dies]). Toned, die rust about face on the obverse, otherwise good very fine/nearly extremely fine and rare.

Ex J.B. Parker Collection, Superior, Beverley Hills Sale June 2-3, 1998 (lot 6473 illustrated). $$ In 379 B.C. Pharnabazos, satrap in Bithynia was given the task of reconquering Egypt for the Persian Empire. Datames, satrap of Cappadocia was later appointed to assist him. To finance this undertaking large quantities of silver staters were struck at Tarsus. Datanes was left in sole command of this campaign after Pharnabazos' death in 374 B.C. A few years later he became involved in the revolt of the satraps against the Persian king. The obverse of this coin is derived from Kimon's Arethusa on the coinage of Syracuse.