Ancient Coins

GREEK COINS, Greek Coins, Taras, Nomos, c. 510-500, dolphin rider right with extended arm, shell below, rev. same type left in incuse, 7.92g/12h (Fischer-Bossert 6; Vlasto 67; SNG ANS 826; HN Italy 826). Good very fine and evenly toned, very rare and of fine late archaic style (£2,500-3,000)

The famous dolphin rider iconography coinage of Taras represents either Phalanthos, the Spartan founder of the city, who was said to have been saved from drowning by a dolphin (Pausanias x.13.10), or Taras, son of Poseidon and a local nymph (Aristotle, fr.590, Rose)