Lot 4273

Description

Sicily, Selinus, (540-510 B.C.), silver didrachm or stater, (8.97 g), obv. selinon leaf, (parsley), rev. incuse square divided into ten triangles, 8 incuse and 2 raised. (S.730, ANS MN 33, Pl. 2, No.43, [This reverse die] cf.SNG Cop. 593 (Pl.13), SNG ANS 672 (Pl.23, similiar dies). Extremely fine and very rare.

Ex Noble Numismatics June 3, 2011 retail sale, and previously from Sotheby's Zurich auction October 27 1993 lot 235 (illustrated), the Athena Fund Auction.
This issue type was present cf.(no.43) in the Selinus Archaic Silver Hoard that contained 35 coins from Selinus and comprised only those Archaic Silver issues, (this was the most ever found of this mint in a hoard which contained a total of 165 silver coins and four silver ingots). The hoard was buried between 510-500 B.C. and is consequently the earliest of its kind ever found in Sicily.