

19
is not in Seltman, thus making it an unpublished
type. EF/VF
$10,000
Ex Evans Sale, Lucerne 1934 according to the coin’s
old French ticket, but not in the printed catalogue
of that sale, Ars Classica XVII, so presumably sold
privately
.
54.
Peloponnesus, Achaean League, Elis.
Kallippos,
magistrate, c. 40-30 BC. Hemidrachm, 2.38g (2h).
Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right; KAΛΛIΠΠOY
behind. Rx: Large Achaian League monogram; Φ
above, FA monogram to left, XE monogram to right,
thunderbolt below; all within wreath. Benner 42.
BCD Peloponnesos 691. Toned EF
$750
Ex CNG 102, 18 May 2016, lot 311. Ex Roma 7, 22
March 2014, lot 227
.
Unique Obol of Psophis from BCD Collection
55.
Arcadia, Psophis.
Third quarter of 4th century BC.
Obol, 0.77g (2h). Obv: Head of Artemis Erykine
right. Rx: Antlers of the Keryneian Hind; ΨΟΦ ver-
tically between them. Unpublished and unique. VF/
EF
$1,000
“The archaic silver of this city was known until
recently in four denominations: the unique British
Museum tetrobol (BMC Peloponnesos pl. XXXVI,
18), the very rare trihemiobols (BCD Peloponnesos
1669), the more plentiful obols (BCD 1661 ff.) and
the rare hemiobols (BCD 1673, 1674 and 1678).
Some years ago another denomination made its
appearance, the tetartemorion or quarter obol
(BCD Peloponnesos 1682). This tiny fraction, con-
temporary with the later, mid fourth century silver
fractions (BCD 1680 and 1681), retained the hind
and fish iconography of the archaic coins. Up to
now, the only known iconographical departure from
the above subjects was the unique Berlin hemiobol
(Traité, pl. CCXXVI, 7) featuring the helmeted
head of Athena Polias on its obverse and the club
of Herakles on the reverse. The full circular legend
of the city’s ethnic on this coin’s reverse was the
reason for which Alan Walker, in his introduction to
this city’s coinage in BCD Peloponnesos, assumed,
quite rightly at the time, that this coin was ‘the last
silver issue of Psophis’. To the above coins we can
now add this unique obol of an equally late date,
probably about the third quarter of the fourth cen-
tury. The obverse features a profile of the patron
divinity of Psophis, Artemis Erykine, whereas the
charming design of the reverse confirms the identity
of the goddess by depicting in faithful and delicate
detail the antlers of her forest companion, the deer.
The Greeks loved ambivalence in their coin iconog-
raphy so an alternate, mythological interpretation
of the coin’s reverse would be alluding to Herakles’
third Labor, capturing the Keryneian Hind ‘whose
antlers were of gold, hooves were of brass and was
so fast that it could outrun an arrow’”.--BCD
.
56.
Crete, Gortyna.
c. 350-320 BC. Stater, 11.77g
(10h). Obv: Europa seated right amid the branches
of a tree, her head lowered and resting on her left
hand. Rx: Zeus as bull standing right, head left;
countermark between bull’s legs. Svoronos 51, pl.
XIII, 22. Le Rider pl. XVI, 12. SNG Copenhagen
441. Wonderful types, rare in this condition. Price
reduction. VF
$2,200
From a private UK collection
.
Enlargement
Enlargement