BITHYNIA. Herakleia Pontika. Time of the tyrant Satyros, circa 352-346/5 BC. Drachm (Silver, 19 mm, 6.69 g, 12 h), reduced Aeginetic standard. Head of Herakles facing three-quarters to right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev. HPAKΛEIA Nike crouching to left on club, inscribing the ethnic on the coin. Franke-Hirmer pl. 201, 735 = Hess-Leu (1962), 261 = Leu 13 (1975), 189. F. Imhoof-Blumer: Griechische Münzen in der Grossherzoglichen Badischen Sammlung in Karlsruhe, in: ZfN VII (1880), p. 23, 4. HGC 7 -. RG p. 352 note corr. (misattributed to Herakleia in Lucania). J.P. Six: Sinope, in: NC 5 (1885), 65. SNG von Aulock 356 (
this coin). Extremely rare, one of perhaps just three known examples. A beautifully toned and attractive example of this wonderful issue. Somewhat rough
, otherwise, good very fine.
From the Kleinkunst Collection, ex Leu 61, 17-18 May 1995, 130 (but with an incorrect further pedigree), and from the collection of H. von Aulock.
Six suggested that this extremely rare issue was struck to commemorate the naval victory of Ptolemaios Keraunos over Antigonos II Gonatas in 281 BC, to which a Herakleotan fleet greatly contributed. However, the very unusual three-quarters facing head of Herakles was certainly copied from a stater of Pharnabazos from Tarsos (SNG Paris 240) and already appears on an obol with Hera on the reverse (HGC 7, 478 = RG 22), thus connecting our coin to the emissions struck under the tyrant Satyros in 352-346/5 BC. It is likely a drachm of a reduced Aeginatic standard and a half-piece to the impressive didrachms with Herakles in profile on the obverse and Hera on the reverse (HGC 7, 479 = Leu 102 (2008), 253). What makes our coin particularly attractive, aside from the beautiful facing head of Herakles, is the rendering of Nike on the reverse, who is shown crouching to left on Herakles' club and inscribing the ethnic of the polis, like a mural, on the coin - a depiction that is reminiscent of staters from Mallos, where Nike is writing her own name in a similar manner. Unfortunately, we do not know to which victory the coin alludes, but Satyros was only the guardian of his nephews Timotheos and Dionysios, whose father Klearchos I had been assassinated in an aristocratic conspiracy, and a military success will undoubtedly have strengthened his claim to power.
