Macedonia, Akanthos. Silver Tetradrachm (17.11 g), ca. 425 BC. Lion right attacking bull collapsing left; in exergue, fish left. Reverse: AKANΘION, in shallow incuse around quadripartite square, the quarters raised and granulated. AMNG III/2, 21; cf. Desneux 99 (D -/R89; obv. die not recorded). Beautiful iridescent cabinet tone. A candidate for finest known. Superb. Nearly Mint State. Estimated Value $12,500 - UP
The image of the lion attacking a bull on this coin of Akanthos is executed masterfully and conveys the full power and violence of the scene as if the engraver had just been watching it unfold outside the window of his workshop. The great detail of the animals' musculature and the lion's mane give the image a vibrancy only found in Archaic Greek art. One can even imagine the bull helplessly screaming for the king of beasts to stop. The lion seems to make no reply except to sink his teeth further into his prey. While the type gives the impression of close attention to the natural world, by the time it appears on Greek coins it was already a stock image in Iranian art, perhaps reflecting the dualistic principles of Persian Zoroastrian religion.
Ex Roma XVIII (29 September 2019), 569.