AEOLIS. Temnos. 4th century BC. Diobol (Silver, 12 mm, 1.49 g, 7 h). Bare head of bearded Dionysos to left. Rev. T-A Kantharos. BMC -. Classical Numismatic Group E-Auction 589 (2025), 171. Classical Numismatic Group 94 (2013), 481. SNG Arikantürk -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG München -. SNG von Aulock -. Traité II -. Extremely rare, apparently the third known example of this beautiful issue. Somewhat granular and with a small scrape and a tiny cut on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.

The finely rendered head on the obverse of this extremely rare diobol is generally identified as Dionysos, who occupies a prominent place in the iconography of the coinage of Temnos; this interpretation is further supported by the kantharos depicted on the reverse. On other Temnian issues, however, Dionysos is ivariably shown wearing an ivy wreath, whereas the head on the present coin is bare. Moreover, the strikingly individualised facial features recall early satrapal portraiture of the same period more closely than conventional representations of a deity. Nevertheless, we retain the traditional identification as Dionysos, albeit tentatively and with a question mark