MACEDON. "Stagira". Circa 520-489 BC. Obol (Silver, 9 mm, 0.86 g). Male head to left, with a sharp, pointed beard and curly hair, possibly bound with a tainia. Rev. Irregular incuse square. Cf. HPM, p. 134, 21a and pl. XVI, 54 ( obverse to right, but struck from the same reverse die ). Extremely rare. With a powerful and very skillfully engraved male head on the obverse. Toned as found. Some slight roughness, otherwise, good very fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, ex Monnaies et Medailles 88, 1999, 130.

This coin has been placed under "Stagira" because of its close affinity to the staters of the so-called "Rose of Pangaion" type, which bear an identical male head along with roses on their obverses. Those staters have been linked to obols, bearing the same male head as that on the staters (but to the right), which is, nevertheless, stylistically the same as the head found on the present coin (in fact, this piece was struck from the same reverse die as one of those obols, thus proving they are all from the same mint). What is certain is that the "male head" pieces, while related to "boar" coins from Stagira, were not struck there.