Lot 3543

Description

Lesbos, island of, (550-500 B.C.), billon stater, (14.55 grams), obv. confronted lions, profiles forms a facing panther's head, rev. incuse square punch, of rough form, (cf.S.3483; Traite I, 548 (Pl.XIV, 3; cf.Waddell list 55, Spring 1992, 71, [US$3000]). Fine, with unique use of illusion, extremely rare.

This type, previously known from a single example in the Paris BN, has come from a very small hoard found in 1991 in Greece; (Coin Hoards VIII, No.8, of which six with the same patination as our coin are illustrated on Plate I of that publication). That hoard is claimed to be buried c.525 B.C. making the issue earlier than that date. It was struck on the earliest weight standard (Phoenecian) rather than the lighter Persic standard used for the later billon issues. Waddell also described his coin as extremely rare and important discovery. Another alternative view is that the coin was struck at the time of the ill-fated Ionian Revolt against the Persians (c.499-494 B.C.). The actual period of issue can only be established by the discovery of further examples in a hoard associated with other different coin types whereby establishing a much truer burial date.