Lot 2874

Description

Peloponnesos, Messenia, Messene, silver hemidrachm, (2nd century B.C., before 146 B.C. [Sear]), (2.09 g), obv. head of Zeus to right, with diadem, dotted border, rev. ME **S* either side of tripod, all within laurel wreath, (S.2849, Grandjean, no.126d [This Coin, p.115, illustrated plate V, obverse die D74, reverse die R106], BCD 731 [p.186 dated late 2nd century), BMC 13-14 [p.110, Pl.XXII,8], McClean 6713-4 [p.444, Pl.229, 5], HGC 5, 568 [R2]). Very dark cabinet patination, nearly extremely fine and very rare.

Ex BCD Collection and LHS Sale 96, May 8, 2006 (lot 731 illustrated, noted as toned and very rare), previously from Spink & Son, London, November 1985, for ?195 pounds, from the Collection of The Van Zadelhoff Auction Sale, 14 October 1985 (lot M102), with all appropriate tickets, with current Collector's detailed ticket in flip. ^Rarely offered for sale with no examples of this city in Spink Num. Circ. 1973-1994, except this coin. Grandjean knew of 6 examples of this type, the dies for this example are unique. Two examples in Coin Archives realised 600 SFr (Auctiones 15.9.2013, lot 6) and 340 SFr. (Nomos 25.3.2018, lot 622).