Sicily, Himera AR Tetradrachm. Circa 409-408 BC. Obverse die signed by Mai-. The nymph Himera driving galloping quadriga to right; above, Nike flying to left, holding wreath and tablet inscribed MAI; in exergue, hippocamp to left / The nymph Himera, wearing a long chiton and peplos, standing facing, head to left, holding phiale and raising hand; to left, horned altar; to right, satyr standing to right, showering in a fountain with a lion’s head spout; counter-clockwise from exergue, [HIMEPAION] (retrograde). Arnold-Biucchi, Monetazione, Group IV, 22 (Q8/H17); Gutmann & Schwabacher 20; SNG Lloyd 1022 (same dies); Basel 306 (same dies); Gillet 434 (same dies); Kraay & Hirmer 71 (same dies); Rizzo pl. XXI, 23 = de Luynes 977 (same dies); HGC 2, 436. 17.62g, 24mm, 9h.

Near Mint State; areas of weak strike.

From A Lady's Winged Horse Collection;
Acquired from Classical Numismatic Group.

The tablet on the obverse of this coin is the only known die signed by the artist ‘MAI-’; it is very possible that the career of this evidently talented artist was cut short by the complete destruction of Himera at the hands of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Mago. The reverse depicts the nymph Himera at the city’s principle altar, which was likely to have been that of Asklepios.