SICILY. Akragas. Circa 420-415 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 26 mm, 17.01 g, 10 h). AKRAΓ-ANTIN-O-N Sea eagle, wings raised, standing left on dead hare set on rocks and tearing at it with his beak; on rock, sea snail on the left and cockle shell on the right. Rev. Crab flanked by murex shell on the left and cockle shell on the right; below, grouper swimming left. ACGC pl. 46, 793 (same dies). BMC 59 (same dies). Gulbenkian 163-164 (same dies). Jameson 508 (same dies). Westermark 530 (O1/R2). Very rare and of great artistic beauty. Somewhat cleaned and slightly brushed, and with the usual tiny die break on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine.


When the Akragantines began striking tetradrachms again in circa 420, they introduced new and particularly elaborate types, for which they hired the finest artists of the period. This issue was the earliest in the series: it was struck from a single obverse and two reverse dies only and depicts a plethora of animals, including, naturally, the sea eagle and the crab as the city's coat of arms.