Lot 1933

Description

Lesbos, Mytilene, (c.412-378 B.C.), electrum hecte or sixth stater, Series 4, (2.62 grams), this issue struck c.395-4 B.C., obv. Athena's head to right wearing close-fitting crested helmet, rev. bearded male head of Pharnabazos, the Persian satrap, wearing Persian head-dress with ends falling behind neck, within linear square, within incuse square, (S. 4251 [£1250]; Bodenstedt M.71, BMC 105, SNG Von Aulock 1708). Very fine and very rare, a coin of great historical importance.

Bodenstedt reports only 13 coins of this historically important type from three sets of dies, only Boston (1705) had another specimen from the same sets of dies as this coin above. Pharnabazos was the hereditary Persian satrap in Daskylion in Bithynia, who commenced coining in Cyzicus about 396-395 B.C. where both his portrait and name was on the coinage. The same portrait used at Cyzicus was also utilised at Mytilene. Both these areas were part of his satrapy. The issue was probably associated with the relief of the Athenian admiral Conon who was blockaded in Caunus by the Spartans. He was later given the task of conquering Egypt for the Persian Empire c.379 B.C. but eventually died of old age in about 373 B.C.