Greek Silver & Bronze

  PrevNext  

Lot 1868    Session 6 (9.30am Thursday)    Greek Silver & Bronze

Estimate $250
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $200

ATTICA, Aegina, (500-480 B.C.), silver stater, (11.85 grams), obv. smoothed shell sea turtle without row of dots down dorsal spine, central banker's mark of flower countermark, rev. early small 'skew' design, (S.1851, Asyut Group VII 'small skew' cf.541-547, SNG Delepierre 1732, Millbank countermark 23). Fine, off centred on the reverse, very rare with flower countermark.

One of the earliest European silver coins. Millbank in the 'Coinage of Aegina' (ANS NN&M, 24 pp 18-22) believes these countermarks could be a) marks belonging to prominent bankers or merchants, b) coat of arms of other cities using these trade coins, c) seals of temples where coins were received as offerings d) Aegina mint marks (which today is dismissed). The third possibility is also discounted because of randomness of countermarks. Most scholars accept the first reason as the most likely and most plausible and the design could be linked to the merchant or banker's location who guaranteed the pieces of being good weight and fineness. The countermark of the flower was reported by Millbank.

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.

Quick find

View a lot by number and sale.

Adjacent lots

  • Lot 1866  

    ATTICA, Athens, (166-57 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.636 grams), issued 151-0 B.C., (Thompson date) but probably ...

    Estimate $800

  • Lot 1867  

    ATTICA, Athens, (166-57 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.175 grams), issued 124-123 B.C., (Thompson date) but probably ...

    Estimate $800

  • Lot 1868   This lot

    ATTICA, Aegina, (500-480 B.C.), silver stater, (11.85 grams), obv. smoothed shell sea turtle without row ...

    Estimate $250

  • Lot 1869  

    ATTICA, Aegina, (500-480 B.C.), silver stater, (11.960 grams), obv. smoothed shell sea turtle without row ...

    Estimate $250

  • Lot 1870  

    CORINTHIA, Corinth, (345-307 B.C.), silver stater, (8.366 grams), obv. Pegasos flying to left, [Q] below, ...

    Estimate $500