THRACO-MACEDONIAN REGION. Berge (?). Circa 525-480 BC. Stater (Silver, 25 mm, 9.55 g). Ithyphallic satyr standing right, grasping right wrist of nymph fleeing to right with his right hand and supporting her chin with his left; in field to left and above, pellet. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. Peykov A0050 (same obverse die). SNG ANS 964 ('Lete'). Svoronos, HPM p. 81, 21 and pl. VIII, 18-23 (same obverse die). Traité I, 1574 and pl. L, 14 ('Lete'). Very rare. A wonderful piece, boldly struck on an exceptionally broad flan and undoubtedly among the finest known examples. Slightly granular and with a faint graffito on the reverse, otherwise, about extremely 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.