Kebren (BC 450) Hemidrachm

ca 480 BC. AR Hemidrachm (1.78g). Head of ram right; below, lizard right / Forepart of bull right within incuse square. Good VF, toned. Well struck on good metal. Ex Triton VI (1/2003), lot 390; Leu 42 (5/1987), lot 294; Niggeler Coll. (Leu/Münzen und Medaillen, 12/1965), lot 396; R. Jameson Coll., 2295.

The Boston and Jameson catalogs attributed this type to Samos, although Barron did not include this coinage in his corpus of Samian coinage. Presumably, the earlier catalogs’ attribution was based on the parallel of the reverse type to various issues at Samos. The obverse type, however, with its small lizard control device, stands in contrast to such an attribution, and without further evidence, an attribution to Samos must be viewed as speculative.