28 INCH SILVER CHAIN

Sicily, Syracuse

Tetradrachm signed by Euth and Eumenos circa 405, AR 17.28 g. Fast quadriga driven r. by winged young god, holding reins with both hands; above, Nike flying l. to crown him. In exergue, ???, dolphin, Scylla to r., holding trident in l. hand over l. shoulder and pursuing a fish with her outstretched r. Rev. ?V???? ????? ??Head of Persephone or Demeter (or Arethusa with the features of Persephone or Demeter), wearing double hook earring and necklace with lion pendant; hair wreathed in barley ears, poppy heads, oak leaves and acorns; beneath neck truncation, EVM. Around, four dolphins swimming clockwise. Rizzo pl. XLIII, 11 (this reverse die). SNG ANS 273 (these dies). Kraay-Himer pl. 33, 103 (this reverse die) and pl. 37, 107 (this obverse die). Giacosa pl. 31 (this coin). AMB 460 (this coin). Tudeer 46w (this coin).
Very rare and among the finest specimens known of this beautiful and innovative
issue, work of two skilled master engravers. Perfectly struck and centred
in high relief on sound metal, lightly toned and good extremely fine

Ex NAC sale 13, 1998, 460. From the Pennisi collection. Horses had been shown in high action on Sicilian coins since early in the 5th Century B.C., notably at Gela and Leontini, but the first time it occurred at Syracuse was in about 430 B.C., when an isolated group of coins were produced from four obverse dies (Boeh. V295-298). Even if they were not artistically inspired, these unsigned dies were a ground-breaking effort. Tetradrachms with horses in nearly identical postures were also struck at Katane, and it is not certain which mint was the innovator, and which the copyist. About fifteen years passed before another effort was made at Syracuse to show horses in action; from that point onward, however, Syracusan artists abandoned the tradition of showing horses moving at a modest pace and in orderly profile. The occasion for this change seems to have been the conflict with Athens that raged on land and offshore from 415 to 413 B.C. The creativity of Syracusan die engravers was suddenly unleashed, ushering in the mint’s most celebrated period, c. 415 to c. 385 B.C. Often accompanying these explosive designs were signatures of the artists who had engraved the dies. This particular coin, struck about a decade into this period of great creativity, bears the abbreviated signatures of ‘Euth’ (Euthydamos?) on its obverse and Eumenos on its reverse. The chariot scene has changed from earlier versions in several ways. With a few exceptions Nike had traditionally crowned the horses, but in this period the charioteer tends to receive Nike’s wreath. Also, the chariot is not shown in strict profile, allowing the artist to foreshorten certain elements (notably the wheels) and to show the contours of the horses, driver and chariot, especially when – as here – they are shown struggling into a turn. The charioteer on this die – the only one signed by ‘Euth’ – is winged, which has invited various identifications, including Agon or Eros. The composition clearly inspired the last obverse die used to strike tetradrachms at Selinus on the eve of its destruction by Carthage in 409 B.C. It is always possible, of course, that ‘Euth’ himself cut the die for Selinus, which, like Syracuse, had opposed the intervention of Athens. There also is a maritime element to the obverse die: in the exergue there is a powerful rendition of Scylla capturing a fish, which might allude to the Syracusan defeat of the Athenian fleet in 412 in the Straits of Messina, the realm of Scylla. Another clue, perhaps, was suggested by Jenkins, who describes this Nike as holding in her left hand an aphalston or a palm branch, either of which could allude to a naval victory – perhaps, again, the victory of Syracuse over the Athenian fleet. The reverse of Eumenos also departs from earlier versions. Not only is the style markedly different, but the goddess is no longer the Artemis-Arethusa of old; instead she is wreathed in barley ears and poppy heads, and thus is probably Persephone or Demeter.

NAC48, 47

Catana

Tetradrachm work of the “Maestro della Foglia”, circa 415-410, AR 16.35 g. Slow quadriga r. driven by charioteer, wearing long chiton and holding reins with both hands; above, Nike flying l. to crown him. Rev. KATANAIO? Laureate head of Apollo r., with short hair; behind, plane leaf. Giesecke, Sicilia Numismatica, pl. 4, 8 (these dies). Rizzo pl. XI, 15 and pl. XII, 10 (these dies). Rizzo, Intermezzo, p. 16, 8c (this obverse die) and p. 18, 6 (this coin). AMB 331 (this coin).
Rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. Struck on a large flan and with delightful
portrait of Apollo of superb style. The obverse from a slightly rusty die and with an
unobtrusive corrosion, minor metal flaws on reverse,
otherwise nicely toned and extremely fine
Ex NAC 13, 1998, 331; NAC 25, 2003, 66 and Stack's 14 January 2008, Lawrence R. Stack collection, 2079 sales.
This beautiful tetradrachm is the work of the “Maestro della foglia”, dubbed thus for his habit of “signing” his work with a special type of leaf, instead of the usual initials or name: on the left side of the reverse of this coin we find an apion leaf next to the neatly designed head of Apollo, wearing a laurel crown in his hair. Apart from guaranteeing the authenticity (sphragis) of the master engraver, the apion leaf motif (an apion crown was also first prize for winners of the games of Nemea in Argolis), is coherent with the image of Apollo as discoverer of the healing effects of plants, a quality which the god shared with Esculapius, according to the great Pythagoras, as Pliny the Elder informs us (Naturalis Historia XXV, 13). On other coins with greater mythological coherence, the Maestro’s signature is represented by a laurel leaf.
Cf. Plin., Nat. hist. XII 3: “Some species of trees are particularly protected as each of them is dedicated to one divinity such as the Mediterranean oak to Jupiter, the laurel to Apollo, the olive to Minerva, the myrtle to Venus and the poplar to Hercules”.

NAC54, 32