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Lot 32. Uncertain Ionian mint, EL Hemihekte, extremely rare

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Enigmatic Hemihekte
Uncertain Ionian mint, EL Hemihekte, extremely rare

Time left: 		Bidding closed (Sunday, April 15th, 19:16:00 CEST)
Current time: Sunday, November 24th, 13:11:00 CET
Price realised: CHF 1'075.00 (3 bids)
Approx. EUR 1'154.76 / USD 1'203.03 / GBP 960.08
High bidder: Bidder 2

eAuction #5, Lot 32. Estimate: CHF 1'000.00

Uncertain Ionian mint. EL 1/12 Stater (Hemihekte, 8 mm, 1.13 g), c. 600-550 BC.
Obv. Head of roaring lion left.
Rev. Incuse square with stellar pattern.
Rosen -; Weidauer -; BMC -; SNG Aulock -.

Extremely rare. Good very fine.

An apparently unpublished type of great interest. It combines an Alyattes-like lion head, but to left and without the usual protuberance on the nose, with an incuse square with stellar pattern reminiscent of the early Milesian coinage. Gemini VI (2010), 203 and Rosen 282 = Münzen & Medaillen AG FPL 384 (1976), 30 published two 1/24 EL Staters of Milesian standard with a very similar reverse incuse but boar to right on obverse, obviously from the same series as Weidauer pl. 7, 55-56, which have been attributed either to Klazomenai, an uncertain Lydian or an uncertain Ionian mint. The reverse die link between the BM Hekte with boar and a Stater with lion obverse in Boston, discovered by Weidauer (p. 66-7 and pl. 7, 57), proves, however, that different obverse types do not necessarily refer to different mints. Our 1/12 Stater could be a fraction of the Boston Stater and thus originate from the same mint. While the lion obverse may point towards a Lydian origin, the stellar pattern on the reverse leads us to follow the M&M cataloguer's suggestion of a Ionian mint.



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