Gemini XIII

39.

Stater, 12.12g (10h). Obv: Boeotian shield. Rx:

Amphora; [K]A-BI across central field; all within

concave circle. BCD Boiotia 539. Hepworth 61. EF/

$300

Latest Wappenmünze

40.

Attica. Athens. Wappenmünzen.

c. 510-500 BC.

Drachm, 4.09g (11h). Jameson 1179. Obv: Four-

spoked wheel. Rx: Quadripartite incuse square,

divided diagonally representing the inner part of a

wheel. This is the latest issue of this Wappenmünzen

type. EF

$5,000

Finest So-Called “Civic Mint” Tetradrachm

41.

c. 520-500 BC. Tetradrachm, 16.97g (8h). Obv:

Helmeted head of Athena right with full crest. Rx:

Owl standing right, head front; olive sprig at upper

left, ΑΘΕ downwards on right, all in incuse square.

Close to Seltman 345 (A-223/P-290). Seltman pos-

tulated his “Civic Mint” because he thought that the

Athenian mint could never issue coins this beautiful

and assumed they were presentation issues. In real-

ity Seltman’s Civic Mint never existed and the coins

in question, of which less than a hundred are known

of all types, were experimental patterns struck by

the Athenians in the process of creating their famous

Athena and Owl types. This coin is quite wonderful,

not only because of the beautiful, delicate archaic

portrait of the goddess Athena, but because of the

perfectly centered obverse strike with a full crest

of the helmet. Of such an important historical issue

this would be a major coin in any fine Athenian or

Greek collection. Choice EF

$45,000

Starr Plate Coin, ex Rockefeller University

42.

c. 475/70 BC. Tetradrachm, 16.76g (1h). Obv:

Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic hel-

met, the truncation dotted. Rx: ΑΘΕ Owl standing

right, head facing; in upper left field, olive twig

and crescent moon. All within incuse square. Starr,

Group I, p. 15, 5, pl. I (this coin). Seltman, Group

N, p. 207, 412 (A274/P349), pl. XVIII (this coin).

Cf. Svoronos, pl. 8, 1. Starr Group I. Planchet flaw

on upper part of helmet of Athena, but her face

is quite beautiful and rather sharp. This appears

to be the finest of only 12 recorded Starr Group I

coins, which were the first Athenian coins with the

Enlargement