LUCANIA. Velia. Circa 300-280 BC. Didrachm or Nomos (Silver, 21 mm, 7.59 g, 5 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with a griffin springing right on the bowl; above vizor, Δ.
Rev. YEΛHTΩN Lion walking to right; on right foreleg, Y; above, pentagram between Φ and Ι. HN Italy 1306. SNG ANS 1374 (
same dies). SNG Ashmolean 1327 and 1329 (
same dies). Williams 439 (O217/R309). A sharply struck and beautifully toned example of wonderful early Hellenistic style. Minor edge crack and with very light die rust on the obverse
, otherwise, good extremely fine.
From an old Swiss collection, started in the 19th century.
In antiquity, Velia gained prominence as the birthplace of the Eleatics, a monistic philosophical school. Its name derived from the Greek city name Ἐλέα = Elea, which in turn evolved from the original name Ὑέλη = Hyele in the 5th century BC. Established around 535 BC by Phokaian refugees escaping Persian rule in Asia Minor, the Velians not only inherited knowledge and philosophical influences from the East, but also adopted the type of Athena with an Attic helmet adorned with a griffin from the electrum coinage of their Ionian mother city, Phokaia. Conversely, the reverse of this wonderful didrachm depicts a lion, a depiction that was to become typical for the Velian coinage
