Ancient Coins

GREEK COINS, Greek Coins, Uncertain mint, electrum Stater, c. 500, forepart of realistic lion right, mouth agape in snarl, eyelids lowered, teeth visible in each jaw, terminated by narrow vertical collar decorated with pellets, rev. irregular incuse rectangle, 14.00g (cf. Leu 57, 105; cf. Tkalec, October 1992, 112). About extremely fine, a superb example of Ionian engraving skill; only the third example recorded (£20,000-25,000)

The highly developed proto-classical, rather archaic, representation of a lion for this coin is idiosyncratic and has strong affinities with Mytilene issues (cf. Bodenstedt 9)