IONIA. Erythrai (?). Circa 500-480 BC. Didrachm (Silver, 16 mm, 7.00 g). Nude hero (Erythros?) on horseback to right.
Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. BMFA 1835 (
same reverse die). Jameson 2269 (
same reverse die). Rosen (
same reverse die). SNG von Aulock 1943 (
same reverse die). SNG Lockett 2814 (
this coin). Traité II, 480 and pl. XII, 10. Rare and with an exceptional pedigree. A beautiful piece of wonderful late Archaic style. About extremely fine.
From the Hermann Robinow Collection, Morton & Eden 51 ('A Collection of Exceptional Ancient Greek Coins'), 24 October 2011, 144, ex Münzen & Medaillen AG 68, 15 April 1986, 281 and Hess 252, 24-25 May 1982, 66, from the collections of R. C. Lockett, Glendining, Part XII, 21-23 February 1961, 2294, and C. S. Bement, Naville VII, 23-24 June 1924, 1450, ex Hirsch XXX ('Griechische und römische Münzen aus dem Besitze des Rev. Percy Barron (Whyteleafe) und eines bekannten englischen Gelehrten [Sir Arthur Evans]'), 11 May 1911, 568, and from the collections of G. Philipsen, Hirsch XXV, 29 November 1909, 2128 and P. Mathey (1844-1929).
The depiction of a naked warrior or hero on this beautiful coin is reminiscent of nearly contemporary didrachms from Sicily, especially from Gela, which also depict a naked warrior with a spear. They point to the significance of cavalry in late Archaic Greek society. Since only wealthy landowners could afford the breeding and keeping of horses, the horse became a status symbol par excellence for the uppermost echelon of society in the Greek poleis. Unlike the didrachms from Syracuse and Gela, our piece likely originates from Erythrai in western Asia Minor, where Achaemenid influences are also conceivable in the appearance of cavalry motifs at the start of the 5th century. It is a splendid late Archaic representation of a nude rider, which explains why the piece found its way into the famous collections of H. Robinow, R. C. Lockett, C. S. Bement, Rev. P. Barron, Sir A. Evans, G. Philipsen, and Paul Mathey.
