THRACO-MACEDONIAN REGION. Berge (?). Circa 525-480 BC. Stater (Silver, 20 mm, 9.79 g). Ithyphallic satyr standing right, grasping right wrist of nymph fleeing to right with his right hand and supporting her chin with his left; to left, right, and above, pellet. Rev. Rough incuse square with uneven surfaces. Peykov A0010. Psoma p. 61 ('Berge'). SNG ANS 950 ('Lete'). Svoronos, HPM p. 81, 13h and pl. VII, 26 (this coin). Traité I, 1566 ('Lete'). Beautifully toned and with an excellent pedigree. A lovely piece with a wonderful rendering of the famous satyr and nymph scene. Slightly granular and with minor marks and light deposits, otherwise, good very fine.


Traditionally given to Lete or Siris, S. Psoma reassigned this wonderful series to Berge in what later became the Thasian Peraia. The coins contain the satyr and nymph motive, a highly sexually charged design showing the ferocious and aroused satyr abusing the mannered nymph. Such images of wilderness clashing with civilization were especially popular in frontier regions such as the Thraco-Macedonian coast, where Greek apoikiai came into close contact with native 'barbarian' tribes. Perhaps this was also the reason why the piece found its way into the collection of the well-known French painter Paul Mathey (1844-1929), who was strongly influenced by the Barbizon School and, in addition to his portraiture, particularly painted naturalistic and expressionist landscapes, which differed significantly from earlier idealistic landscape representations.