Thraco-Macedonian, Uncertain tribes or Ionia
Tetradrachm circa 520-480, AR 17.16g. Lion crouching l., devouring its prey; above, lotus and below, circular ornament. Rev. Forepart of a winged boar r., within a dotted square border within an incuse square. Svoronos, Hellenism Primitif 8a (this coin) and pl. XVII, 20 (for obverse) and 18 (for reverse). Traité 1857 and pl. LIX, 14 (these dies). Gillet 856 var. (boar l.). Weber 8555 (this coin). Jameson 2028 (this coin). Boston suppl. 70 var. (boar l.).
Extremely rare and among the finest of only a few specimens known. A fascinating and
intriguing issue, superb old cabinet tone and about extremely fine

Ex Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge 1 March 1889, General Moore, 363; Leu/M&M 5 December 1965, Niggeler, 224; Leu 48, 1989, 142; Leu 76, 1999, 88 and Nomos 8, 2013, 76 sales. From the Jameson, Weber, general W. Yorke and General C.R. Fox collections.
This extremely rare and very well pedigreed tetradrachm still remains somewhat of a mystery. It is tentatively treated as a possible Thraco-Macedonian tribal issue, largely on the basis of the lion type, which has some similarity to early electrum issues that seem to have been produced in Thrace, and the placement of the lotus ornament, which may echo issues of Akanthos. On the other hand, the winged boar might seem to hint of an origin in Asia Minor, where it was an important type for the coinage of Klazomenai. Far less likely is an origin in Cyrene, as was originally suggested when the coin was first published by B. V. Head in 1891.