Lot 3498

Description

Caria, Knidos, (c.520-495 B.C.), silver drachm, (6.20 gm), obv. forepart of lion to right, with usual die deterioration, rev. head of Aphrodite to right of fine archaic style, hair in lines and bound with plain diadem, all within incuse square, (S.3543, Cahn, (Knidos) No.49 [same dies], McClean 8470 [same dies], SNG Cop. 215 [same dies]). Light tone, good very fine and rare.

Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 61 (lot 2648) and Noble Numismatics Auction Sale 73 (lot 3327). Only 20 examples are known from these dies and these are almost all in public collections. The reverse die is one of only 15 used for the whole Archaic coinage in this the earliest period of the coinage.