Campania, Neapolis (c. 350-325 B.C.), Silver Didrachm, 7.63g. Head of nymph facing to right, her hair bound with a broad band decorated with a meander pattern. Rev. [NE]OΠOΛITH[Σ], man-headed bull standing to right, Nike flies to right above, crowning the bull (Sambon 363 (this coin); SNG ANS 293 (these dies); HN Italy 565). Struck from dies of the finest style, excellent metal, extremely fine, one of the finest known examples and a superb piece of ancient art.

This coin illustrated in A. Sambon, Les Monnaies Antiques de L’Italie, Paris, 1903, pl. III 363.
Ex Franz von Wotoch Collection (Sambon & Canessa, 11 December 1901).
Ex Collection de Feue la Comtesse de Béhague, Vinchon, Paris, 14 April 1984, lot 3.

Calabria, Tarentum (c. 334-332 B.C.), Gold Half Stater, 4.32g. Head of Hera facing to right, wearing a stephane, earring and necklace, her hair falling down her neck in wavy curls, traces of legend before. Rev. TAPAΣ, Taras seated on dolphin to left, carrying a small dolphin in his right hand and holding a trident in his left, ├ below his right arm, a thunderbolt on left, M-Φ below (Vlasto 12 (this coin); HN Italy 902; SNG ANS 955 var.; Jameson 149 var.). Traces of double-striking on reverse, struck from dies of very pretty style, a lovely example, extremely fine, rare.

Ex M. P. Vlasto Collection, 12 (reportedly found at Taranto, near the railway station in 1899).
Ex J. Vinchon, Monte-Carlo, 13 April 1985, lot 18

Bruttium, Kaulonia (c. 525-500 B.C.), Silver Incuse Stater, 8.24g. KAVΛ, Apollo advancing to right, holding a branch in his raised right hand and a small daimon, running to right, in his extended left hand, a stag standing to right on right, with its head turned back. Rev. The same type, incuse, but without the legend and with only a raised outline of the daimon (Noe, Caulonia, Group A, 8 (these dies); SNG ANS 145 (these dies); HN Italy 2035). A well-struck example, attractively toned, nearly extremely fine.

Bruttium, Terina (c. 460-440 B.C.), Silver Stater, 8.08g. TEPSNA, head of the nymph Terina facing to right, her hair bound with a fillet tied three times around her head, wearing a necklace. Rev. Nike standing to front, head turned to left, wearing a peplos, holding a wreath in her right hand and a branch in her left; within a shallow incuse circle (Regling, Terina, 2c (this coin); Holloway & Jenkins 2 (these dies); de Luynes 817 (these dies); HN Italy 2568). A coin of exceptional beauty, refined style, wonderful cabinet tone, good very fine, extremley rare, a superb piece.

Ex Sambon Auction, Paris, March 1902, lot 383
Ex P. Benson Collection, Sotheby & Co., London, 1909, lot 132
Ex R. Jameson Collection, 466
This coin illustrated in K. Regling, Terina, 1906, 2c
Ex Kunstfreund Collection, Bank Leu AG & Münzen und Medaillen AG, Zürich, 28 May 1974, lot 74

Sicily, Zankle-Messana (c. 500 B.C.), Silver Drachm, 5.44g. DANKLE, dolphin leaping to left, within sickle-shaped harbour of Messana. Rev. Scallop-shell, within shallow incuse square containing a pattern of raised and sunken triangles and squares (H. Gielow, MBNG XLVIII, 1930, pl. 3, 31 (this obverse die); SNG ANS 298; SNG Ashmolean 1818; SNG Lockett 814). In an outstanding state of preservation, attractive cabinet tone, extremely fine, a superb coin.

Ex Sotheby & Co., London, 26-27 March 1987, lot 352

Sicily, Syracuse (second Democracy, 466-405 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 17.29g. Reverse die signed by Parme(nides). Struck c. 415-405 B.C. Charioteer wearing long chiton and holding a kentron and reins, driving fast quadriga left, Nike flies to right above to crown the charioteer, grain ear (only partially visible) in the exergue. Rev. ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, head of Arethusa facing to left, her hair in sakkos, she wears a triple-pendant earring and necklace, three dolphins swimming around, Π and signature ΠAPME below (Tudeer 77 (V27/R49); SNG ANS 287 (these dies); SNG Lockett 976 (these dies); SNG Ashmolean 2003 (these dies); Jameson 836 (these dies); Basel 472 (these dies); Boston 416 (these dies); Rizzo pl. LXVII, 21 (these dies)). Obverse die a little worn, superb old cabinet tone, beautiful style, the work of a master artist, good very fine.

Ex Nelson Bunker Hunt Collection, Sotheby’s New York, 4 December 1990, lot 23

Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III, The Great (336-323 B.C.), Gold Distater, 17.21g. Mint of Aegeae, lifetime issue, 336-323 B.C. Head of Athena facing to right, wearing a crested Corinthian helmet ornamented with a snake. Rev. AΛEΞANΔPOY, Nike standing facing to left, holding a wreath and stylis, a thunderbolt on left, a monogram below her left wing (Price 191; Müller 5; SNG Alpha Bank 456; SNG Copenhagen 623). An exceptional example of this impressive gold issue, well-centred, lustrous, extremely fine.

Kingdom of Epirus, Pyrrhos (297-272 B.C.), Gold Stater, 8.54g. Struck at Syracuse, 278 B.C. Head of Athena facing to right, wearing a Corinthian helmet ornamented with pegasos, a triple-pendant earring and a pearl necklace, her hair flowing down her neck, an owl behind, A below. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠYPPOY, Nike alighting to left, holding a wreath in her right hand and a trophy in her left, a bucranium at her feet on left (BMC 1; Kraay – Hirmer pl. 151, 475 (these dies); Jameson 1124 (these dies); Gulbenkian 910 (this obverse die); Jenkins, AGC, 635 (this obverse die), 628 (this reverse die)). Some light marks on edge, of wonderful Hellenistic style, good very fine.

Ex Bank Leu AG, Auction 42, Zürich, 12 May 1987, lot 214
Ex Bank Leu AG, Auction 52, Zürich, 15 May 1991, lot 67
The gold coinage of Pyrrhos is among the most beautiful of the hellenistic period. The types of this coin are clearly derived from the gold staters of Alexander the Great, and they have been transfomed into designs of superb style. The reverse in particular shows Nike in motion, her drapery swirling around her. In place of a stylis, Nike now holds a military trophy, as well as the wreath of the Dodonian Zeus.

Aegean Islands, The Cyclades, Melos (c. 475-460 B.C.), Silver Stater, 14.20g. MAΛICN (retrograde), oinochoe, with handle on right. Rev. Three dolphins encircling a large central pellet; all within a dotted circle within a shallow incuse circle (Sheedy, Series III, Group c, 18 (O14/R14), pl. 7 (this coin); Jameson 1300 (this coin); Traité pl. CCXLII, 12 (this coin); C.M. Kraay, NC 1964, p. 3, 4 (A4/P4), pl. I (this coin)). Surfaces a little rough, lightly toned, very fine, apparently the only recorded example from these dies, with a very good pedigree.

From the Melos Hoard, 1907
This coin illustrated in Traité, pl. CCXLII, 12
Ex Jameson Collection, 1300
Ex Hess-Leu, 14 April 1954, lot 132
Ex J. Vinchon, Paris, 13 April 1985, lot 315
Ex Monnaies et Médailles S.A. 76, 1991, lot 735
This coin illustrated in K. Sheedy ‘The Archaic and Early Classical Coinages of the Cyclades’ (2006), pl. 7, 18

Mysia, Kyzikos (c. 475-410 B.C.), Electrum Stater, 16.03g. The Earth (Gaia) rising-up out of the ground, wearing a chiton, and holding-out the infant Erichthonios, a tunny below. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square of mill-sail pattern (W. Greenwell, NC 1887, 31, pl. II, 8; Von Fritze, Nomisma VII, 157, pl. V, 5; BMC 65, pl. VI, 11; Boston 1500). Good very fine, very rare and a fascinating mythological type.

The myth depicted on this fascinating coin is that of the handing-over of Erichthonius by Gaia to Athena. Erichthonius was born of Gaia and, after being entrusted to Athena, was given to Agraulos, Herse and Pondrosos, the daughters of Kekrops, the first king of Athens. When they saw Erichthonius, his anguipedic apperance shocked them to such an extent that they hurled themselves from the Acropolis, leaving him to become king of Athens after the death of Kekrops and to found a new dynasty. Greenwell (p. 63) assumes that the representation is probably taken from an original in marble.

Carian Islands, Kos (c. 280 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 15.10g. Head of young Herakles facing to right, wearing lion’s skin headdress. Rev. K-ΩIO-N, crab, bow-case (gorytus) and KΛEINOΣ below; all within a dotted linear square (SNG von Aulock 2753; cf. SNG Delepierre 2729 var.; SNG Copenhagen 627 var.). Superb Hellenistic style, lightly toned, good extremely fine, very rare, an exceptional coin.

Ex Bank Leu AG, Auction 36, Zürich, 7/8 May 1985, lot 166
This tetradrachm of Kos, apart from being in an exceptional state of preservation, is of beautiful Hellenistic style. The obverse has been delicately and finely engraved, making the obverse of this coin one of the most elegant depctions of Herakles from the Hellenistic period.