ISLANDS OFF SICILY, Aeolian Islands - Lipara. Circa 425 BC. Hemilitra (Bronze, 37 mm, 45.68 g, 9 h). Bearded head of Aeolus to right, wearing pilos . Rev. ΛΙΠ - Α - ΡΑΙΟΝ ( partially retrograde and with the second Α and the Ν inverted ) Galley stern with aphlaston; above, six pellets. BMC 1 ( same reverse die ). Buceti 4 ( this coin ). CNS 4 ( same reverse die ). SNG Copenhagen 1084. Very rare. Bold and impressive with a brown-green patina. Minor roughness as usual, otherwise, very fine.

From the collection of A. de Barros, Classical Numismatic Group 75, 23 May 2007, 94, ex Vecchi 16, 9 October 1999, 82.

This coin comes from the first issue of the mint of Lipara, produced from bronze captured from Etruscan fleet defeated off the Aeolian Islands in 425. The obverse shows Aeolus, ruler of the winds, whose home was on the heights of Lipara, and the reverse shows the aphlaston of one of the Etruscan galleys from which the bronze that was used for these coins came.