IONIA. Phokaia. Circa 625/0-522 BC. Hekte (Electrum, 11 mm, 2.56 g, 12 h). Mother seal swimming to left with a young swimming to right below, each with annulet above. Rev. Rough incuse square. Boston MFA -. Bodenstedt -. Leu 5 (2019), 133 (same reverse die). Rosen -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG Kayhan -. SNG von Aulock -. Of the highest rarity, apparently the second known example of this lovely issue. Minor marks, otherwise, good very fine.


The name Phokaia is derived from the Greek word for 'seal,' and survives as a Greek loanword in several modern Romance languages: French phoque, and Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese foca. Appropriately, these graceful animals became the city’s badge on its coinage, most often appearing as a small seal placed below or behind the principal type. On the earliest issues of Phokaia, however, the seal itself still occupies the main type. The present example offers one of the most charming animal renderings in all Archaic Greek coinage: a mother seal swimming left, with her pup below, heading right. The opposing movement of mother and young gives the scene an enchanting playfulness that almost seems to betray direct observation by the artist - perhaps inspired by seals sporting among the small islands in the bay of Phokaia.