The enigmatic city of Nasos
Lot 715
ISLANDS OFF MYSIA, Nasos. 3rd century BC. AE (Bronze, 21 mm, 6.00 g, 12 h). Laureate and draped bust of Apollo to right. Rev. NAΣI Dolphin right; below, palm frond. HGC 6, 1102. SNG München 809. SNG von Aulock 1763. Rare. The reverse a bit weak, otherwise, very fine.

Ex Bucephalus Black Auction 12, 18-19 November 2022, 423.

The city of Nasos probably lay on what is today Alibey Adası (Moschonisi island in Greek), a small island situated between Lesbos and the Mysian mainland. As the Athenian tribute list of 425/4 BC records payments from a 'Nasos Pordosilene', it has been suggested that Nasos and Pordosilene were two names for the same community. If this is true, its inhabitants may have felt the need to change their embarassing original name, Pordosilene ('Silenos' fart'), to a deliberately vague Nasos ('island') in the late Classical or early Hellenistic time. It is worth noting, however, that the name Pordosilene reappears on Roman Provincial coins of the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
Starting price:
50 CHF
Hammer price:
220 CHF
Bid increment:
Closed
Minimum bid:
Closed
Number of bids:
Time left:
Closing time: 11-Mar-23, 17:57:00 CET
All winning bids are subject to a 18.5% buyer's fee.

Cookies

We use cookies to enhance your online experience. By using our website, you accept our data privacy policy and the use of cookies.
Cart
Disconnected

Connection lost

You have lost your connection. Because we present current bids in real-time, your browser may display outdated or incorrect bidding information.

Please check your network connection and try again. We recommend refreshing the website to display the accurate bidding information again.