Numismatica Ars Classica Zurich

Auction 124  –  23 June 2021

Numismatica Ars Classica Zurich, Auction 124

A Collection of Greek Coins of a Man in Love with Art, Part III

We, 23.06.2021, from 3:00 PM CEST
The auction is closed.

Description

Pandosia.   Drachm circa 340-330, AR 2.05 g. Head of Hera facing slightly to r., wearing stephane and necklace. Rev. [ΠΑΝ]ΔΟΣΙΝ Naked Pan seated l. on rock, spear behind l. arm; at his feet, dog running to l. Jameson 540 (this coin). AMB 217 (this coin). Evans, NC 1912, The Artistic Engravers of Terina and the Signature of Euainetos on its Later Didrachm dies, pl. 3, 17 (these dies). Historia Numorum Italy 2451 (these dies).
Of the highest rarity, one of the very few specimens known for this mint.
Lovely old cabinet tone and about very fine

Ex Sambon-Canessa 1903, Maddalena, 581; NAC 13, 1998, 217; NAC 21, 2001, 37 and NAC 27, 2004, 58 sales. Evans, Jameson and A.D.M. collections.
Pandosia, an Achaean colony, was situated slightly above Cosentia (Strabo VI 1,5), on the river Kratis (Crati). Strabo also tells us that Pandosia was once the royal residence of the kings of Enotria. Apart from general information and the death of Alexander the Molossos, who was tricked by two oracles (Strabo Loc. C), we know very little of the history of this city, and only through numismatics can we retrace an alliance with the city of Croton. On the obverse of this fraction of a nomos is the head of Hera, queen of Olympus and Zeus’ bride, depicted in a nearly full-face portrait. The interesting reverse shows Pan on a rock with an untethered dog at his feet running to 1. It is not surprising to find a dog beside the god of shepherds and sheep, whose cult spread far beyond the Hellenic world. Pan particularly loved fresh springs and the shade of the woods: in fact, he was usually portrayed with a shepherd’s crook, pan pipes, a pine crown or a pine branch in his hand.

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Bidding

Price realized 5'000 CHF
Starting price 4'800 CHF
Estimate 6'000 CHF
The auction is closed.
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