Lot 1713

Description

Lydia, uncertain king, issued before 561 B.C. and probably c.575 B.C., electrum trite or third stater, (4.742 grams) of Lydo-Milesian (Phoenician standard), probably issued at Sardis, obv. head of roaring lion to right, knob with three rays on forehead, rev. double incuse punch, (S.3398, BMC 7 [p.2], Weidauer 89). Very fine, edge flaws and rare.

The find of early electrum as a foundation deposit in the earliest temple at Ephesus included numerous third staters of this type. It also contained some inscribed electrum coins with the non-Greek name `Welwet'. It was irresistible to identify this name with Alyattes, king of Lydia. However this exciting attribution has been thrown into doubt by the more recent discovery of a parallel name, `Kali', which does not correspond to any known Lydian king. No one really doubts that this prolific coinage was issued by the Lydian royal house. The lion's head was certainly the dynastic badge, and this manner of representation, with the herringbone mane and `wart' on nose, was introduced into Greek art from Assyria in the second half of the seventh century B.C. One of, if not the earliest, examples of ancient Greek coinage that utilises a design of some type on the obverse.