Lot 2668

Description

Thraco-Macedonian Tribes, Mygdonia (or Galepsus) or Krestones. (c.480-470 B.C.), silver stater, (9.88 g), obv. He goat kneeling right, head reverted, pellet in ring above (solid rosette or Q), dotted border, rev. quadripartite incuse square, (Lorber, Pour Denyse, [The Goats of`Aigai'], Issue 6 [Mygdonia] who knew of 6 examples, RN 2003 [Galepsos], Svoronos HPM, p.34-35, Pl. III, 17, [same dies], AMNGIII, p.20, No.14 and Pl. V,24, SNG ANS 58 var. [Aigai, obverse symbol]). Extremely fine and very rare.

Originally attributed to the Macedonian city of Aigai, this series was re-evaluated by O. Picard ("Les monnaies au bouc attribu�es � Aigai," BSFN 50/6, 1995) and C. Lorber (see above), who have convincingly shown that, based on linguistic and iconographic evidence, Aigai cannot possibly be correct. Lorber also re-evaluated the numismatic and historical evidence, and synthesized her findings with metrological, iconographic, and hoard data to conclude that these coins were actually tribal issues emanating from an area west or southwest of Bisaltia, probably inhabited by the Mygdones or Krestones. A similar example in Triton XVIII (lot 428) realised US $19000+15%.