Uncertain (BC 425-375) AV

4th century BC. AV (17mm, 3.44g, 5h). Forepart of boar right / Forepart of lion right. Near EF, traces of deposits in devices, a couple of minor field marks. Unique.

This puzzling coin is clearly in the same series as a small group of silver fractions of identical types and style that have trickled onto the market over the past five years with weights averaging 1.12g. Although the types suggest an origin in Asia Minor (e.g. Kyzikos), anecdotal information suggests an area further east in the region of Baktria. The weight is also mysterious - it does not seem to bear any clear relationship to the weight standards prevalent in the eastern Mediterranean, but is almost exactly three times the weight of the silver fractions, suggesting that the coins may have been intended to circulate locally in a closed exchange area rather than as part of the international financial system. The unusual weight on an apparent local standard supports the suggestion that this issue should be attributed to some region in central Asia remote from western commerce.