SICILY. Gela. Circa 450-440 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 16.78 g, 6 h). Charioteer, holding reins with both hands and kentron in his right, driving slow quadriga to right; above, Nike flying right to crown the horses; in exergue, palmette with tendrils. Rev. CΕΛΑ[Σ] Forepart of the river-god Gelas, in the form of a man-headed bull, to right. Boston MFA 247 (same dies). Gulbenkian 198 (same dies). Jenkins, Gela, 357.23 (this coin, O69/R142). McClean 2255 (same dies). Morgan 112 (this coin). SNG ANS 66 (same obverse die). A beautiful example with lovely old collection toning and a very old pedigree. The usual die wear and the obverse struck somewhat off center, otherwise, about extremely fine.

Rivers served as the primary lifeline for the communities that settled along their banks, while also posing a constant threat through flooding. As such, they were both respected and revered throughout the ancient world. A popular motif in Greek art was the depiction of rivers as man-headed bulls - a form that emphasized their raw, untamed power while also lending them a human aspect. The Gelas River, from which the city of Gela took its name, derived its name from the Sicel word for rime (possibly related etymologically to the Latin gelidus, meaning 'frosty'). Ideally situated between river and sea, Gela would grow into one of the great cities of Greek Sicily, and fittingly honored its local river on its splendid coinage