Lot 3219

Description

Macedon, Kingdom of, Demetrios Poliorcetes, (294-288 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (17.006 grams), Tarsos mint, issued 298-295 B..C., obv. Nike blowing trumpet and holding mast to left on prow, rev. Poseidon striding to left brandishing trident and holding chlamys on outstretched left arm, trident in left field, monogram in left ANTO, and right **PAR*, fields, below **BASI LEWS*, to right **DHMHTMIOU*, (cf.S.6762, cf.Newell 33, [Pl.IV, 3, for stater with these monogram combinations], cf.Pl.IV, 6 for similar tetradrachm with one of these monograms). Unpublished, very fine or better and extremely rare.

Otto Morkholm states in Early Hellenistic Coinage that this obverse type 'has been connected with one of the greatest works of art in Antiquity, the Nike of Samothrace in the Louvre, but the general opinion is now that the statue is somewhat later in date and there is no direct connection between them. This, of course, does not exclude the possibility of the coin type having served as a model or inspiration for the statue'.