AEOLIS. Myrina. Circa 160-143 BC. Tetradrachm (Subaeratus, 33 mm, 13.50 g, 12 h). Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. MΥΡINAIΩN Apollo Grynios standing right, holding phiale in his right hand and filleted branch in his left; at his feet to right, omphalos and amphora; in field to left, monogram; all within laurel wreath. BMC 8. Sacks Issue 23. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG von Aulock -. Boldly struck and fresh, with a lovely head of Apollo. Minor deposits and with a few tiny marks, otherwise, extremely fine.


This magnificent tetradrachm from Myrina weighs just 13.50 g, making it a good 20 % underweight. Externally, however, there is no indication that it is a fourrée: the style is outstanding, and it shows none of the breaks in the plating normally seen on plated coins. We are therefore dealing either with a perfectly preserved fourrée, or with a mint error, whereby — perhaps as the result of a measuring error — an underweight flan of good silver was produced.