Monete greche con divinità olimpiche su entrambe le facce

[apollonia]

Salve.

Nella prossima NAC AUCTION 138 saranno presentate alcune monete con le caratteristiche del titolo. Scorrendo il catalogo, la prima è il lotto 95 che raffigura i due gemelli olimpici Apollo e Artemide.

Base d’asta: 8.000 CHF. Valutazione: 10.000 CHF

Lotto 95. Syracuse. 100 litrae circa 317-310, EL 6.46 g. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ Laureate head of Apollo l.; behind, lyre. Rev. ΣΩΤΕΙΡΑ Head of Artemis r., hair bound with broad taenia, wearing triple-pendant earring and dotted necklace; behind, lyre and quiver. Boston, MFA 446 (these dies). Kraay-Hirmer pl. 46, 130 (these dies). Jenkins, Essays Robinson, pl. 15, 2 (these dies).
Very rare. Two lovely portraits of fine Hellenistic style, struck on a narrow flan and minor edge marks, otherwise good very fine / about extremely fine

From an Exceptional Collection assembled between the early 70s and late 90s.
Please find here the video of the coin.

apollonia

[apollonia]

I dodici dei principali, generalmente detti "Olimpi", erano Zeus, Era, Efesto, Atena, Apollo, Artemide, Ares, Afrodite, Estia, Ermes, Demetra e Poseidone.

Apollo «splendido come il sole» e Artemide «bella come la luna» erano i figli più belli di Zeus che li accolse con gioia sull’Olimpo e li additava orgoglioso agli altri dèi.

Nacquero dalla relazione amorosa di Zeus con Leto (Latona), la dea greca figlia del Titano Ceo e della Titanide Febe che ebbe un parto assai travagliato sull’isola di Delo per volere di Era, la regina degli dei particolarmente adirata per questo tradimento del marito.

Artemide, la dea della caccia, aveva il dono di domare le bestie feroci e di catturare prede di ogni genere, mentre parallelamente proteggeva la natura e i giovani animali. Trascorreva la maggior parte del tempo libera nei boschi, occupandosi della caccia e del tiro con l’arco. Apollo era anche lui un arciere molto abile e spesso accompagnava la sorella nelle sue escursioni di caccia.

I due fratelli nutrivano un particolare amore e rispetto per la loro madre ed erano sempre pronti a difenderne l’onore, per esempio quando punirono duramente Niobe per essersi vantata con le sue compagne di essere una madre molto migliore di quanto lo fosse Leto. I sette maschi e le sette femmine di Niobe caddero trafitti dalle frecce rispettivamente di Apollo e di Artemide.

Artemide, come la sua sorellastra Atena, rifiutò l’amore e puniva duramente chi non rispettava la sua volontà. Drammatica fu la fine del cacciatore Atteone che osò appostarsi per vederla mentre si bagnava nuda e, scorto dalla dea, fu trasformato in cervo e divorato dai suoi cani.

apollonia

[apollonia]

Statere di Tylisos, sull’isola di Creta, con la raffigurazione della testa di Era sul diritto e di Apollo in piedi, con l’arco nella mano sinistra e una testa di capra nella destra, sopra una pianticella di alloro.

Base d’asta: 4.800 CHF. Valutazione: 6.000 CHF.

Lotto 195. Tylisos. Stater circa 320-270, AR 11. 16 g. Head of Hera r., wearing pendant earring and stephanos decorated with palmettes. Rev. TYΛIΣON retrograde Apollo standing l., r. leg advanced, holding bow in l. hand and goat's head in outstretched r. hand; in l. field, small laurel tree. Svoronos 1, pl. XXX, 29 (these dies). Le Rider pl. VI, 17. BMC 1. Jameson 2526. SNG Delepierre 2433.
Extremely rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. Struck on an unusually fresh metal and with a lovely old cabinet tone. An almost invisible trace of overstriking on obverse, otherwise extremely fine

Ex Roma Numismatics sale XIX, 2020, 360. From the David Freedman collection and previously privately purchased from London Coin Galleries on 20th March 2015.
 

Very little is known about the small city of Tylisos on Crete and indeed J. N. Svoronos remarked in his seminal work on the ancient coinages of Crete that it may not have been known at all if not for the survival of extremely rare coins like the present tetradrachm—one of only 6 to appear at auction in the last two decades. Archaeological excavation in the early twentieth century showed that the site of Tylisos had been occupied since the Minoan period in the Bronze Age, but that the Greek city was not constructed directly on top of the Minoan settlement. All that presently remains of the Greek city are the scant ruins of a sanctuary consisting of an altar and a temenos wall. Inscriptions from Tylisos and Argos in mainland Greece show that in the mid-fifth century BC these cities together with Knossos on Crete and perhaps others formed an alliance with a federal assembly to decide on questions of war and peace. The language of the inscriptions suggests that Argos was the leading force of the alliance and that Tylisos may have been its dependency rather than an independent member. Perhaps tellingly, the inscriptions state that the Argive assembly was to mediate in any disputes between Tylisos and Knossos and neither Cretan city was permitted to absorb the other’s territory, however, Tylissians were permitted to own property in Knossos while Knossians were prohibited from doing the same in Tylisos. Argive influence is also detectable in the coinage of Tylisos through its use of the Aeginetan weight standard and a representation of Hera on the obverse that is clearly modelled on staters struck at Argos in the period c. 370-350 BC. The reverse type may also have Argive connotations if the type of Apollo holding the head of a goat is correctly identified as a representation of Apollo Karneios. This was a distinctly Dorian Greek form of the god as a protector of flocks and herds. Apollo Karneios was especially worshipped in Sparta, where his festival—the Karneia—took place over nine days in August during which it was forbidden to wage war. It is clear that Apollo Karneios was also worshipped by the Argives, who were also Dorians. Thucydides (5.54) reports that in 419 BC, when Argos was in conflict with Sparta, the Argives manipulated their calendar so that they would not have to break off hostilities for the Karneia at the same time that the Spartans were forced to lay down their arms for the festival.
Please find here the video of the coin.

apollonia

[apollonia]

Dramma di Kromna, Paphlagonia, che raffigura la testa laureata di Zeus al dritto e la testa turrita di Era con sopra una spiga di grano al rovescio.

Base d’asta: 1.600 CHF. Valutazione: 2.000 CHF.

Lotto 200. Paphalagonia, Kromna.  
Drachm circa 340-300, AR 3.61 g. Laureate head of Zeus l. Rev. ΚΡΩΜΝΑ Turreted head of Hera l.; above, grain; in l. field, [Δ] (?). Gillet 1110 (this coin). Recueil general I.1, 1 and pl. XXI, 25. SNG BM Black Sea 1337. SNG von Aulock 186.
Rare. Two lovely portraits of fine style and a lovely old cabinet tone. Extremely fine.

From the Charles Gillet collection and a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
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apollonia

[apollonia]

Hecte di Mitilene che raffigura la testa elmata di Atena al dritto e la testa di Ermes all’interno di una quadrato lineare al rovescio.

Base d’asta: 1.600 CHF. Valutazione: 2.000 CHF.

Lotto 220. Mytilene. Hecte circa 377-326, EL 2.55 g. Helmeted head of Athena facing slightly r. Rev. Head of Hermes r., wearing petasos behind his draped neck, within linear square. de Luynes 2568. Locker-Lampson 285. Boston, MFA 1734. Bodenstedt 86.15 (this coin).
Light reddish tone and extremely fine

Ex Egger 46, 1914, 767 and Hirsch XXIX, 1910, Lambros, 691 sales. From a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
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apollonia

[apollonia]

Hecte di Mitilene che raffigura la testa laureata di Apollo al dritto e la testa di Artemide al rovescio.

Base d’asta: 600 CHF. Valutazione: 750 CHF.

Lotto 222. Mytilene.  
Hecte circa 377-326, EL 2.55 g. Laureate head of Apollo r.; in l. field, snake. Rev. Head of Artemis r., hair in sphendone. Boston, MFA 1720. SNG Copenhagen 317. Bodenstedt 100.
Lovely reddish tone, almost invisible trace of double striking
on reverse, otherwise extremely fine

From a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
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apollonia

[apollonia]

Tetradramma di Magnesia al Meandro, magistrato Pausania, che raffigura al dritto il busto diademato e drappeggiato di Artemide e sul rovescio pollo in piedi, su una linea a meandro, con un ramo in mano e appoggiato a un tripode.

Base d’asta: 1.600 CHF. Valutazione: 2.000 CHF.

Lotto 231. Magnesia ad Meandrum.  
Tetradrachm, magistrate Pausanias, son of Pausanias circa 150-140, AR 16.36 g. Diademed and draped bust of Artemis r., bow and quiver over l. shoulder. Rev. MAΓNHTΩN – ΠAYΣANIAΣ – ΠAYΣANIOY Apollo standing l. on a meander pattern, holding a branch and leaning against a tripod, all within wreath. Jones dies 10. SNG von Aulock 7922. SNG Copenhagen 844. Jameson 1504.
Lovely iridescent tone and good extremely fine

Ex Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid sale 165, 2009, 194. Privately purchased from Harlan J. Berk in 1980’s.
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apollonia

[apollonia]

Tetradramma di Alicarnasso con testa di Apollo a dritto e Zeus Labraundos al rovescio.

Base d’asta: 2.400 CHF. Valutazione: 3.000 CHF.

Lotto 240. Satraps of Caria, Maussolus, 377 – 353.  
Tetradrachm, Halicarnassus circa 370-360, AR 15.28 g. Head of Apollo facing slightly r., wearing laurel wreath, drapery around neck. Rev. MAYΣΣΩΛΛO Zeus Labraundos standing r.; in l. field, ME monogram. Konuk, Identities 21 var. (without monogram). Traité II, 95. SNG von Aulock 2358. Jameson 1567 (this coin). Kraay-Hirmer pl. 187, 638. SNG Kayhan 873.
Wonderful old cabinet tone and good very fine

From the Jameson collection. From a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
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apollonia

[apollonia]

Tetradramma di Alicarnasso con testa di Apollo al dritto e Zeus con labrys e scettro al rovescio.

Base d’asta: 6.000 CHF. Valutazione: 7.500 CHF.

Lotto 241. Hidrieus, 351-344.  
Tetradrachm, Halicarnassus circa 341-336, AR 14.92 g. Wreathed head of Apollo facing slightly r., drapery around neck. Rev. ΠIΞΩΔAPOY Zeus standing l., holding labrys in r. hand and sceptre in l.; below, small E. Konuk, Identities 29. Traité II, 110. Pixodaros, CH IX, 9. SNG Kayhan 890. SNG von Aulock 8047.
Struck in high relief and with a magnificent old cabinet tone. Good extremely fine

Ex Triton sale XX, 2017, 311. From the Collection of an Aesthete.
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apollonia

[apollonia]

Testa di Apollo e Zeus Labraundos su 1/6 darico di Alicarnasso.

Base d’asta: 1.600 CHF. Valutazione: 2.000 CHF.

Lotto 242. Pixodarus, 341 – 336.  
1/6 daric, Halicarnassus circa 341-336, AV 1.25 g. Head of Apollo l., wearing laurel wreath. Rev. ΠIΞOΔA Zeus Labraundos standing r., wearing chiton and himation. HN Online 56. SNG von Aulock 2372. SNG Kayhan 896. Jameson 2594 (this coin).
Very rare. Several minor marks and slightly off-centre on reverse,
otherwise about extremely fine

From the Jameson collection and a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
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apollonia

[apollonia]

Didramma con testa di Apollo al dritto e Zeus con labrys e scettro al rovescio.

Base d’asta: 2.000 CHF. Valutazione: 2.500 CHF.

Lotto 243. Pixodarus, 341 – 336.  
Didrachm circa 341-336, AR 6.96 g. Wreathed and draped head of Apollo facing slightly r. Rev. ΠIΞΩΔAPOY Zeus standing l., holding labrys in r. hand and sceptre in l. SNG Copenhagen 596. SNG Keckman 280. SNG Kayhan 891. SNG von Aulock 2375.
Light iridescent tone and virtually as struck and almost Fdc
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apollonia