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Ancient Greek and Roman coins from Asia Minor

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Coin ID #13343

Mytilene (BC 477-455) EL Hekte - B-

ca 478-455 BC. EL Hekte (2.50g, 9.5mm, 11h). Head of female right, hair bound in sakkos; Λ¬E flanking neck; all on raised disk / Incuse head of cock right; small square behind neck. gVF.

The cataloguer at CNG described this coin as “Unique.” If genuine, this is a fascinating and important coin as its obverse and reverse are of an unknown type and the obverse appears to be a ‘shield-like’. The obverse has a ‘hint’ of an under-type at 5 o’clock.

The coin is an ‘enigma’: The reverse is a cock's head facing right. B3, B7 and B9 are comparable portraits but all face left. The reverse type suggests that the coin is pre-455 BC but the obverse has a portrait of a woman which is unknown for the early series. The 'shield-like' attachment on the obverse does not have a precedent in the Mytilene series.

File information
Filename:unknown_10_Carr.jpg
City/Mint name:Mytilene EL
Keywords:electrum / archaic / classical
References:Bodenstedt -, “unpublished”
Valuation:CNG Auc. Triton XX (1/2017), lot 259 ($3,250 + comm)
Photo courtesy of:Classical Numismatic Group Inc - www.cng.coins.com
Filesize:259 KiB
Date added:Jan 13, 2017
Dimensions:1627 x 828 pixels
Displayed:443 times
URL:http://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=13343
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