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Ancient Coins
Enlargement
1550 Sicily, Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. Æ Hemidrachm (14.68 g), 344-317 BC
. Struck ca. 344-339/8 BC. [
]
-
-
, laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios right.
Reverse:
-
[
], thunderbolt; to right, eagle standing right. Castrizio series I, 1
; CNS
72; SNG ANS 477-88. Glossy dark reddish-brown patina. Magnificent!
Superb Extremely Fine
.
Estimate Value ...........................................................................................................................................................................$1,000 - UP
From The Herbert & Aphrodite Rubin Collection; Ex Birkler & Waddell II (11 December 1980), 82.
The overthrow of the Deinomenid tyranny at Syracuse in 466 BC was celebrated by the introduction of a new cult of Zeus Eleutherios ("the Liber-
ator") and a festival (the Eleutheria) which involved a grand sacrifice of 450 bulls at a monumental altar. The same god is invoked on this coin
struck under the Corinthian general Timoleon to advertise his overthrow of Dionysios II and the other Greek tyrants of Sicily, but it is unclear
whether its issue was accompanied by such a vast expenditure of beef.
W
ELL
P
EDIGREED
A
GATHOKLES
S
ILVER
T
ETRADRACHM
, 317-289 BC
Enlargement
1551 Sicily, Syracuse. Agathokles. Silver Tetradrachm (17.16 g), 317-289 BC
. Ca. 317-310 BC. Wreathed head of Arethusa left, surrounded by
three dolphins; below neck, NK.
Reverse:
YPAKO
I
[N] in exergue, charioteer, holding goad and reins, driving galloping quadriga left; above,
triskeles; in exergue, monogram. Ierardi 42b (O8/R23; this coin); SNG ANS 633. Perfectly centered, well struck with lovely uniform slightly irides-
cent toning.
Superb Extremely Fine
.
Estimate Value .......................................................................................................................................................................$3,000 - 3,500
From the Herbert & Aphrodite Rubin Collection; Ex Coin Galleries (16 November 1983), 169; Edward George Spencer-Churchill Collection (Ars
Classica XIV, 2 July 1929), 139; Ars Classica XII (18 October 1926), 987.
The Nike and trophy reverse of this coin advertises Agathokles as the victorious king of Greek Sicily. It gives no hint that his military adventures
against the Carthaginians frequently ended in disaster, such as the battle of the Himera which resulted in the siege of Syracuse or his audacious
Libyan campaign, which he ultimately abandoned along with his army!