THRACE. Abdera. Circa 411/0-386/5 BC. Stater (Silver, 24 mm, 12.91 g, 7 h), Apollados, magistrate. Griffin rearing up to left. Rev. EΠI AΠO-ΛΛ-AΔOΣ Apollo advancing slowly left, holding patera in his right hand and long branch of laurel over shoulder with his left; in field to upper left, small Nike hurrying left and pouring libation from kantharos into Apollo's patera. May 349 (A253/P295). Extremely rare. An impressive piece, beautifully toned and of superb style. Area of flatness and two minor scrapes on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.




Abdera was refounded by settlers from Teos in Ionia, who in 544 BC fled from the Persian threat and brought with them the griffin as a coat of arms. To avoid confusion, the creature is looking in different directions: to right on the coinage of the mother city, to left on that of its Thracian colony.