Phocis, Federal Coinage Bronze II century, Æ 16.5mm., 4.80g. Facing head of Demeter, wreathed in wheat, with two ears of it showing above her head. Rev. Athena advancing right with shield and spear, ΦΩKEΩN l. up. Unpublished and unknown without the EL above the head on the obverse. BCD Lokris-Phokis 427. Privately purchased in 1996. From the duplicate of the BCD collection.

Previously unpublished. Dark patina and Very Fine.

The authors of NCP mention that the two sons of Polycles, Timocles and Timarchides, who sculpted the statue of Athena Kranaia, were active during the 3rd century BC, and hint that the coins (as BCD Lokris-Phokis lots 428 to 431) are of an earlier date. BCD thinks that these coins were in fact struck in the early part of the 2nd century BC and this would now make it possible for the statue to be their model. The question of course is, what did the statue look like, as we have two different postures on the coins: the “Palladion” style (see this and the next lot) and the “charging Athena” style (see BCD Lokri-Phokis lots 429 to 431). Pausanias (x.34.8) is not very helpful as all he says is that the statue was “in fighting attitude” and both coin reverses could lay claim to this description. This writer suggests that the “charging Athena” was what the statue of the two artists looked like and that the “Palladion” style posture seen in BCD Lokris-Phokis 427 and 428 was that of an earlier wooden “xoanon” that preceded the bronze statue.