ca 454-427 BC. EL Hekte (2.44g). Head of nymph three-quarter facing and turned slightly right, wearing taenia that is bound up at the back of her head / Two boars' heads confronting each other. It has been suggested that the obverse portrait is that of Europa. VF. Carr coll.
Three examples noted by Bodenstedt, this appears to be only the fifth additional example offered at electronic auction.
There appear to be two distinct varieties of this emission. One variety, the reverse has the letter "A" between the two boars' heads confronting each other. The other variety, of which this is an example, does not and the heads are closer together. Of the three examples noted by Bodenstedt, two have "A" on their reverse. Of the five examples that have subsequently appeared at auction, two have "A" on their reverse (see Hirsch Auc. 256 (5/2008), lot 183; Coin ID #9229, Ex Roma). The meaning of the letter A on the reverse is open to speculation - could it be a reference to the municipality Antissa? The appearance of the letter A on this emission appears to be the only example within the whole series of emissions of Mytilene. A somewhat 'parallel' to this reverse design can be noted in Bodenstedt 35 where there are confronting calf heads in which again there are two varieties, one of which has the letters "ΛE" between the heads.
