76 / 194
186
Ionia, Erythrai. Electrum Hekte (2.54 g), ca. 550-500 BC. Head of Herakles left, wearing lion’s skin head-
dress. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. SNG Kayhan 737-8; SNG von Aulock 1942. Excellent detail and
well centered. We note a flan crack at 11 o’clock. Choice Very Fine.
$350
From the Dionysus Collection.
Splendid Lebedos Silver Tetradrachm
187
Ionia, Lebedos. Silver Tetradrachm (16.31 g), ca. 160-140 BC. Apollodotos, magistrate. Head of Athena
right, wearing triple-crested Corinthian helmet. Rev.
LEBEDIWN
, owl standing right, head facing, on club
between two cornuacopiae; across lower field,
APOLL
-
ODOTOS
; all within laurel wreath. Amandry grp.
IV, 17f (D2/R13); Kinns 30. Attractive light tone.
The Rarest of the Stephanophoric types.
Superb Extremely
Fine.
$2,500
From the Dionysus Collection;
Ex Coin Galleries (19 August 1987), lot 71.
Ex Coin Galleries (19 August 1987), lot 71.
The Greek cities of western Asia Minor were freed from the Seleucid Empire by the mid-second century B.C. They soon
began striking their own autonomous coinage on broad flans with Olympanian gods and dieties on the obverse with re-
verse designs enclosed in a wreath. The term ‘stephanophori’ refers to its reverse meaning “wreath bearers”. The prototype
for this appears to be the New Style Athenian coinage. Lebedos was one of the 12 cities in the Ionian League. Although
wealthy, Lebedos’ population was limited by its position on the peninsula therefore, its coinage was very limited thus mak-
ing the stephanophoric coinage among the rarest of the Ionian League issues. The era of this coinage, 160-140 BC, repe-
sents the last great artistic period of Greek numismatic art until the rising power of Rome took over the Classical World.