Asia Minor, Uncertain mint
Stater, uncertain mint in Ionia circa 500, EL 14.00 g. Lion's head r. with dotted collar; behind, two raised squares. Rev. Quadripartite punch with uneven surface. cf. NAC sale 84, 2015, 645. cf. CNG 42, 1997, 475. Ute Wartenberg, White Gold, 20 (these dies). Of the highest rarity, apparently only seven specimens known. A very fascinating issue and a powerful representation of superb Archaic style. Perfectly centred on a full flan and extremely fine Ex Hirsch 182, 1994, 241; Hirsch 185, 1995, 262 and Hirsch 189, 1996, 214 sales. The attribution of this stater is not certainly known, though its style also places it near the end of the Archaic period. Few parallels exist among early electrum staters for this style of punch, though one that is exceptionally close is illustrated in Martin Price's "A Field in Western Thrace" (Coin Hoards II, pl. 1, fig. 5). It bears a rather famous obverse type showing two lions standing upright, paws touching and heads reverted, with a floral ornament between them in the lower field. Because the fabric and punch-type are so compatible – and so distinct from almost all other known staters – one might suggest that they also were contemporary products of the same mint. The lion's head is engraved in an appealing style that has much in common with early electrum hectai of Lesbian Mytilene, most of which are attributed to the period c.521-478. The pelleted collar and the rough-hewn 'bricks' extending from the truncation of the neck find numerous parallels with lion heads at Mytilene, though, curiously, never in conjunction with or in the same mode of engraving – raised or incuse. Those with pelleted collars occur only as raised renderings on the obverse (Bodenstedt nos. 7 and 12-14), whereas those with the brick-like protrusions occur only as incuse renderings on the reverse (Bodenstedt nos. 1-2, 4-6, 8, 10-11, 15-16, 20 and 26). We may add that two hectai of Phocaea (Bodenstedt nos. 25 and 52) also have similar lion heads, in relief, with the pelleted collar.