Lot 4439

Description

Italy, Lucania, Metapontum, (c.540-520 B.C.), silver nomos or stater, (6.47 g) on broad thin flan, obv. ear of corn in high relief, to left distinctive MET downwards, circled border with dots, rev. ear of corn incuse, lined incused border, (cf.S.235, Noe [NN&M 32] Class I, No.13, Spink & Son and the Taranto Hoard] [same dies]; Bement Sale 151 [same dies]; SNG ANS 166, SNG Ash. 648). Clipped flan, otherwise nearly very fine/very fine and very rare.

Ex Fred Shore c.January 2005 at the New York Show.
A similar worn example in Sale 83 (lot 3205) realised $1800.
Noe reports only four examples known. A detailed discussion occurs in Ann Johnston's additions and corrections to Sydney P. Noe's work on the Coinage of Metapontum Parts I & 2, New York, 1984, pps. 1-6 and pps. 35-49. This example in the early group of dies in the series. The coinage is still considered to begin c.550-540 B.C. This example comes shortly after the beginning.