IONIA. Klazomenai. Circa 375-360 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 25 mm, 15.15 g, 11 h), Theodoros, magistrate. Laureate and draped bust of Apollo facing three-quarters to left. Rev. [KΛA𐤆O - ΘEOΔΩPOΣ] Swan standing left, preening its wing. Hurter 19 (this coin, V6/R12). Very rare. Struck in high relief and with a dramatic facing head of Apollo. Corroded and with cleaning scratches, particularly on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


The very rare tetradrachms from Klazomenai with their dramatic facing heads of Apollo are certainly among the most impressive examples of the depiction of gods en face, as it became in vogue in the first half of the 4th century BC. They were influenced both by Kimon's Arethusa and the facing busts of Apollo from Amphipolis, but the local artists soon developed their own dramatic style and high relief die cutting, which in turn influenced the coinage of Miletos, Halikarnassos and the Satraps of Caria. The discovery of the 1964 Vourla Hoard expanded the number of known examples by forty-two to more than sixty and provided a broader picture of this very rare and impressive coinage. Although the coins in the hoard were all corroded and poorly cleaned, they still capture the magnificent artwork that went into the production of the dies. Apollo as one of the principal deities of Klazomenai is accompanied, on the reverse, by a swan, the city's coat of arms and a pun on its name, as κλαξω translates as 'I moan' - a reference to the moaning calls of the swans nestling in the nearby Hermos estuary.