GREEK COINS
CRETE
Lyttos. Circa 320-270 BC. Stater (Silver, 25mm, 11.31 g 1). Eagle flying to right, with open wings and holding an object of prey (a fish head?) in its talons. Rev. ΛΥ Boar’s head to right, within a linear square contained within a shallow, incuse square. Le Rider pl. XXXIII, 1 = Svoronos p. 235, 56 and pl. XXII, 2 = Traité pl. CCXLVII, 13. A rare variety. Well struck and well centered. Uncleaned and with even, dark deposits as found; otherwise , nearly extremely fine. From the Brünn Collection, acquired in Italy prior to World War I. Lyttos, also known as Lyktos (see the following lot), was an important and very ancient city, which was located inland, to the east of the center of Crete; its port was at Chersonesos (above, lot 72). The city’s great rival was Knossos: the Knossians managed to destroy Lyttos in 220 BC, but the city subsequently recovered.