★ Delphos, the founder of the sanctuary of Delphi? ★

LESBOS. Uncertain mint. Circa 550-480 BC. 1/12 Stater (Billon, 7 mm, 0.82 g, 11 h). Head of a young African male to right. Rev. Eye in linear square, all within incuse square. BMC -, cf. 42 (no eye on the reverse). Rosen - . SNG Copenhagen -, cf. 295 var. (head to left and no eye on the reverse). Savoca 95th Blue Auction (2021), 137. SNG von Aulock -, cf. 7715 (no eye on reverse). Extremely rare. The obverse somewhat porous, otherwise, about very fine.

From a European collection, formed before 2005.

The African head on the obverse perhaps represents Delphos, the founder of Apollo's most famous sanctuary, who was a son of Poseidon and the nymph Melaine (meaning 'the Black' in Greek) and hence sometimes depicted as an African (for example on some rare hemiobols from Delphi).