SICILY. Selinos. Circa 540-530 BC. Didrachm (Silver, 20 mm, 8.89 g). Selinon leaf. Rev. Incuse square divided into five irregular sections. Arnold-Biucchi Group I, 1. HGC 2, 1206. Rizzo pl. XXXI, 2 (same dies). Selinus Hoard -. SNG ANS -. Extremely rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, with a wonderful old cabinet tone. Very minor marks, otherwise, good very fine.

This coin represents the earliest known coinage from Selinos, the westernmost Greek colony in Sicily. The city thrived particularly in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, as evidenced by its monumental temples, which are among the largest in the Greek world. One striking example is the unfinished 'Temple G', which covered an area of 50 by 110 meters = 5,500 m², nearly the size of a modern football field. Selinos was named after wild celery, which grew abundantly along the city's namesake river. The celery leaf became the city's emblem and was prominently featured on its coinage, as seen on this magnificent specimen. The exquisite archaic style is characteristic of this extremely rare early issue, the first coinage of Selinos. Minted shortly after the mid-6th century BC, it stands among the earliest coins of Sicily