SICILY. Katane. Circa 405-403/2 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28 mm, 16.75 g, 3 h), signed by the engraver Herakleidas on the obverse. Laureate head of Apollo facing, turned slightly to the left, with his hair falling in curls and locks around his head and neck; in small letters to right, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΑΣ. Rev. ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΩΝ Quadriga galloping to left, the reins of one horse trailing on the ground, driven by a charioteer gripping the reins with both hands; at the center, above the horses, Nike flying right, seemingly preparing to alight on the backs of the horses, holding a crown for the charioteer in her right hand and a kerykeion in her left; in the exergue, below the inscription, fish swimming to left. AMB 338; Gulbenkian 192; Jameson 546; Rizzo pl. XIV, 11 and XVI, 3; and SNG Lloyd 902 ( all struck from the same dies ). Very rare. With a splendid portrait of Apollo of the very finest Classical style, perfectly struck in high relief, and engraved by one of great engravers of the late 5th century BC. Some porosity , otherwise, extremely fine.

From a European collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica 92, 23 May 2016, 110, Numismatica Ars Classica 18, 29 March 2000, 83 ( beautifully cleaned since its appearance as part of the Hunt Collection ), and from the collection of N. B. Hunt, III, Sotheby's , New York, 4 December 1990, 25 ( uncleaned and disfigured by deposits ).