SICILY. Syracuse. Second Democracy, 466-405 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 26 mm, 15.25 g, 7 h), reverse die signed by Eukleidas, circa 415-405. Female charioteer driving quadriga galloping to left, holding flaming torch in her right hand and reins in her left; above, Nike flying right, holding wreath in both hands; in exergue, grain ear left.
Rev. [ΣΥΡ]ΑΚΟΣΙOΝ Head of Athena facing, turned slightly to the left, wearing a triple-crested Attic helmet with cheek pieces raised and decorated with palmettes, a double-spiral earring and a necklace with acorn-shaped pendants and a lion head at the center; across the helmet bowl, ΕΥ-Κ-ΛΕΙΔ-Α; around, four dolphins. BMC 198-9. Boston MFA 411 (
same dies). Fischer-Bossert, Coins, 58s = Tudeer 58f (
this coin, V18/R33). Gulbenkian 282 (
same dies). HGC 2, 1337. Rizzo pls. XLIII, 22 and XLV, 5 (
same dies). SNG Lloyd 1384 (
same dies). Very rare and with an illustrious pedigree going back to 1844. Somewhat smoothed and with light porosity and minor marks
, otherwise, about very fine.
From the T. Frisbie Collection, ex Triton XVI, 8-9 January 2013, 228 and Berk BBS 143, 18 May 2005, 62, from the Hagen Tronnier Collection, Künker 94, 27 September 2004, 404, ex Auctiones AG 20 ('collection of a Scholar'), 8 November 1990, 163, from the collections of A. H. & M. E. H. Lloyd, Helbing, 8 November 1928, 3654, Godfrey Locker Lampson, no. 94 and R. Allatini, from the Duplicates of the Berlin Museum, Hess, 27 October 1902, 658, from the Fox Collection, and from the Thomas Collection, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 23 February 1844, 593.
