★ An upublished variety of the extremely rare classical tetradrachms from Kolophon ★

IONIA. Kolophon. Circa 375-350 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 24 mm, 15.05 g, 11 h), Heleo..., magistrate. Laureate head of Apollo to left. Rev. KOΛO-Φ-ΩΝΙΟΝ / HΛEO[...] Kithara with seven strings; all within incuse square. BMC -. Hecatomnus -, cf. p. 97 and pl. 6 (differing magistrates). Kinns -. Milne -. Pixodarus -. Traité -. An unpublished variety of an extremely rare issue. Beautifully toned and of fine style. Minor deposits and with faint scratches and corrosion on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine.

From a European collection, formed before 2005.

The late classical tetradrachms from Kolophon are extremely rare: less than ten specimens are known, and this is the first from this magistrate. On the coin, he calls himself Heleo..., a name that is not attested elsewhere. Therefore, it might be a local variant spelling of Helio..., suggesting his full name was Heliodoros.