★ Phrygillos Issue ★

LUCANIA. Thourioi. Circa 410-400 BC. Stater (Silver, 20 mm, 7.96 g, 8 h), dies engraved by Phrygillos(?). Φ Head of Athena to right, wearing an Attic helmet adorned with Skylla moving to right, her left hand raised in the 'aposkopein' ( glancing into the distance ) gesture; in the field to right of Athena's visor, Φ. Rev. ΘΟΥΡΙΩΝ Bull walking to left, his head lowered; below on the ground line, finch alighting to left, his wings aflutter; in the exergue, river fish swimming to left. HGC 1, 1259. HN III 1782. SNG ANS 984. Lightly toned. Minor marks, otherwise, very fine.

From a Swiss collection, acquired from H.D. Rauch, and ex Thesaurus 4, 2009, 5.

This issue is traditonally thought to have been engraved by the artist Phrygillos: there is the letter Φ on the obverse, and, on the reverse, a fluttering bird (a 'finch' or ' phrygillos ' in Greek); both appearing as 'signatures'.