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Highly Desireable Naxos Silver Drachm
40
Sicily, Naxos. Silver Drachm (4.17 g), ca. 460-430 BC. Bearded head of Dionysos right. Rev. N-A-XI-ON,
Silenos, nude, squatting half-left, holding kantharos before face. Chan 56 (V41/R47); SNG Lloyd 1152
(same dies); Jameson 676 (same dies); Pozzi 507 (same dies); de Luynes 1064 (same dies); BMC 9 (same
dies).
Extremely Rare.
Nicely toned with touches of iridescence. A beautiful example of this iconic issue,
Fine Style. Extremely Fine.
$3,000
From the Dionysus Collection.
Naxos was the oldest Greek city to be established in Sicily, founded in 735 BC, the year before Syracuse by a body of Ionian colo-
nists apparently involving an important contingent from the Cycladic island of Naxos. It is generally presumed that the Sicilian city
gained its name from the Naxian origin of some of its colonists. The city flourished from the start and soon established its own
colony at Leontinoi, but fell on hard times in the early fifth century BC, when Naxos was captured and fell successively under the
domination of the tyrants of Gela and Syracuse. In 476 BC, Hieron of Syracuse forcibly removed the Naxians from their city and
resettled it with new colonists as a means of breaking up power blocks that might have threatened his tyranny. The present drachm
was struck after the endof theDeinomenid tyrany at Syracuse and the returnof the exiledNaxians to their home in461BC. It features
a somewhat Arachaic-looking head of Dionysos, but the three-quarter facing Silenos of the reverse is quite daring in its execution.
41
Sicily, Panormos (as Ziz). Silver Tetradrachm (17.14 g), ca. 405-380 BC. Charioteer, holding kentron and
reins, driving galloping quadriga left; above, Nike flying right, crowning charioteer with wreath. Rev. Head
of nymph left, wearing triple-pendant earring and necklace; around, three dolphins. Jenkins 52 (O14/
R41).
Rare.
Excellent metal and toned. Very Fine.
$1,000
From the Dionysus Collection.