PAPHLAGONIA. Sinope. Late 5th century BC. Drachm (Silver, 16 mm, 6.12 g). Head of a sea-eagle to left; below, dolphin to left. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square with two opposing quarters filled, Σ within one unfilled quarter. HGC 7, 388 var. (differing letter and pellet in quarters). RG -. SNG BM Black Sea -. SNG von Aulock -, cf. 6838 (pellet in quarters). Apparently unpublished. An exceptional piece, beautifully centered and with an incredibly captivating rendering of the eagle. Minor edge splits and with light traces of overstriking, otherwise, good extremely fine.



The eagle on this extraordinary drachm is rendered in a style unlike that of any other issue of Sinope. The dies of Da... (Daidalos?) at Olympia (see lot 62 below) - and the Sinopian issues modeled after them - are marked by heavy overhanging eyelids, closely observed from life and giving the bird its sharp, predatory focus. On this likely somewhat earlier piece, however, the anonymous engraver has chosen a different approach: a wide, dish-like, perfectly round eye that fixes the viewer with its stare. Equally striking is the resemblance to the eye of the small dolphin, which too is rendered unnaturally large. Combined with the nearly perfect centering, these features create a particularly powerful image of the two proud emblems of the Black Sea metropolis.