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Coin ID #13297

Mytilene (BC 521-478) EL 1/12 Stater - B-

ca 530-522 BC. EL Hemihekte (1.25g, 9.4mm). Forepart of winged boar, right / Incuse head of man-headed bull / river god, left. Obverse struck from rusty die, otherwise gVF. Carr coll.

The cataloguer at CNG described this coin as “Unpublished. Unique, and this issue is unknown in any other denomination.” A fascinating and important coin, as it confirms that a fraction, in addition to Hekte, was issued by Mytilene. Bodenstedt suggested a series of fractional emissions could be attributed to Mytilene - these have a calf head facing right on the obverse and incuse square on the reverse. This attribution is disputed by many scholars (see Coin ID #12959). In this context, this new fraction is of significant interest.

File information
Filename:carr_unknown_8.jpg
City/Mint name:Mytilene EL
Keywords:archaic / electrum
References:Bodenstedt -, “unpublished”
Valuation:CNG Auc. 103 (9/2014), lot 233 ($2,750 + comm)
Photo courtesy of:Classical Numismatic Group Inc - www.cngcoins.com
Filesize:105 KiB
Date added:Sep 15, 2016
Dimensions:800 x 412 pixels
Displayed:569 times
URL:http://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=13297
Favorites:Add to Favorites

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Adrian   [Mar 24, 2017 at 06:10 PM]
The river god, depicted on the reverse of this coin, appears very similar to a Phokaia Hekte emission obverse - Phokaia Bodenstedt 16. In the Gemini Auc. X (1/2013) lot 110, the cataloguer describing an example of the Phokaia B 16 Hekte suggested:"The man-headed bull is likely to be the river god Acheloos. A kindred representation can be found on coins of Cyzicus (Gulbenkian Coll. 607)".

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