Lot 3257

Description

Troas, Ilion, silver tetradrachm, 37mm, (c.188-133 B.C.), (16.44 g), obv. helmeted head of Athena to right, rev. Athena Ilias standing right, holding distaff and filleted spear, at her feet, owl standing right to right, to right and left **AQHNAS - ILIADOS*, in exergue **AQHNOKLEOUS*, (cf.S.4103, Bellinger "Troy", T36-T39 [same obverse die]; A. Bellinger, "The First Civic Tetradrachms of Ilium," MN VIII (1958)"; SNG von Aulock -; SNG Cop. - ; BMC -). Very fine and very rare, this issue with this name apparently unique.

Ex Freeman & Sear, Los Angeles, as a retail purchase c.2004 with their descriptive ticket with sale price of $1200.

The names appearing on these issues are not technically magistrates, but wealthy and influential citizens who financed the coinage in return for recognition on the coins (see Bellinger, "The First Civic Tetradrachms of Ilium," ANSMN VIII (1958), p. 23-24). The patronymic form used here has a parallel in the earlier stephanophoric coinage of Magnesia ad Maeandrum (see Jones).