Sicily, Aetna.   Drachm circa 476-470, AR 4.17 g. Horseman at pace r. within dotted border. Rev. AITN – AI – ON Zeus seated r., holding thunderbolt and eagle-tipped sceptre. Dobretsberger, MONG 1961, 6, p. 49-50. ACGC p. 212 (this coin mentioned). C. Boehringer, JNG 18, 1968, pp. 67-98 and pl. 7, 2 (this coin). de Callataÿ-Gitler, The Coin of Coins, A World premiere. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem 2004, p. 29 and footnote 17.
Apparently unique. An issue of tremendous importance and fascination. Of fine late
Archaic style and with a delicate old cabinet tone. About extremely fine

Ex Auctiones 20, 1990, 117 and Morton & Eden 9 June 2011, 202 sales.
As a means of exerting his dominance over other Greek cities of Sicily, particularly those with non-Dorian populations, the Syracusan tyrant Hieron I employed a policy of depopulating established centers and founding new cities. Such was the case of Catana and Leontini in 476 BC. The tyrant compelled the inhabitants of these cities to move to Naxos and repopulated Catana with 10,000 Dorian Greek settlers from Syracuse and the Peloponnesus. Having completely changed the ethnic makeup of Catana, Hieron I also renamed it as Aetna and established his son to rule it as a king. However, Hieron I died soon after and the Deinomenid tyranny was overthrown in Syracuse. In 461 BC, the exiled people of Catana returned to their old homes and expelled the Aetnaeans. They subsequently seized the native Sicel settlement of Inessa and used it to found a new city named Aetna. This apparently unique drachm was struck during the early period of Catana’s refoundation as Aetna and as such is an enduring monument to the harsh policies of Hieron I. The obverse horseman type, which is drawn from contemporary drachms of Syracuse leaves no doubt as to who controlled Aetna. It is paired perfectly with a similarly unique tetradrachm of Aetna featuring a slow biga that is very similar to that found on Syracusan tetradrachms of the same period. The reverse type, depicting a spectacular enthroned figure of Zeus, however, is purely local. The king of the Olympians is rendered in a beautiful Archaic style and his throne includes wonderful details like the palmettes on the legs. The image is also especially interesting for the unusual placement of Zeus’ attributes, the scepter and the eagle. Whereas he usually holds these in his hands, here the scepter stands beside the god with the eagle perched on top.