LESBOS. Uncertain mint. Circa 550-480 BC. 1/12 Stater (Billon, 7 mm, 0.82 g, 11 h). Head of a young African male to right. Rev. Eye in linear square, all within incuse square. BMC -, cf. 42 (no eye on the reverse). Rosen - . SNG Copenhagen -, cf. 295 var. (head to left and no eye on the reverse). Savoca 95th Blue Auction (2021), 137. SNG von Aulock -, cf. 7715 (no eye on reverse). Extremely rare. The obverse somewhat porous, otherwise, about very fine.


The African head on the obverse perhaps represents Delphos, the founder of Apollo's most famous sanctuary, who was a son of Poseidon and the nymph Melaine (meaning 'the Black' in Greek) and hence sometimes depicted as an African (for example on some rare hemiobols from Delphi).