SICILY. Katane. Circa 461-450 BC. Litra (Silver, 12 mm, 0.79 g, 5 h). Balding head of Silenos to left, with an animal ear and a long beard. Rev. ΚΑΤ-ΑΝΕ around winged thunderbolt. Boehringer, Kataneische Series I, Li 2. Jameson 536 (same dies). Rizzo pl. IX, 16. Of splendid late archaic-early classical style, and with an attractive grey patina. Extremely fine.

From the Vineyard Collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica 18, 29 March 2000, 77.The head of Silenos on this coin must have been made just a few years after the famous tetradrachm with the squatting Silenos from Naxos. The rather powerful style of this coin, with echos of the late Archaic, should be compared to the following litra from Katane, which shows a much more human head of Silenos, fully classical in concept.