Baldwin's Smash World Record in New York The sale of the spectacular Prospero Collection shook the foundations of the ancient coin trade last night setting a new world record for the highest achieving ancient Greek coin.
and quiver. Rev. Bull butting to right on ground line, its head lowered; all within an olive-wreath (BMC 17, pl. XV, 9 (these dies); Jameson 1337 (this coin); Kraay - Hirmer pl. 167, 550 (these dies); Svoronos, p. 260, 39, pl. 24, 6). A beautiful coin of superb style, wonderful old cabinet tone, extremely fine.
Hammer: US$650,000
271
Macedon, Amphipolis (366/5 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm., 14.21g., . Head of Apollo facing, slightly inclined to right, wearing a laurel-wreath. Rev. AMΦ-IΠO-ΛIT-EΩN on a broad frame of a raised linear square enclosing a race-torch, a cicada on inner left; all within a broad shallow incuse square (Lorber, type E, 13c (O8/R10), pl. XX (this coin); Brett, AJN 1909, pl. III, 9 (this obverse die); Regling, ZfN 33, 1922, p. 59, 52, pl. II, 14)). Well-struck in high relief, wonderful style, lightly toned, good very fine, very rare and with a superb old pedigree.
Hammer: US$600,000
150
Sicily, Naxos (c. 415 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 16.94g., . Bearded head of Dionysos facing to right, wearing a stephane adorned with an ivy-wreath. Rev. NAΞION, naked and bearded Silenos squatting facing, his head turned to left towards the kantharos that he holds in his right hand, he holds a thyrsos in his left hand, an ivy-plant creeps upwards to his left, behind which his tail is visible (Cahn 101 (V66/R83); Rizzo pl. XXVIII, 16 (this obverse die), 17 (this reverse die); BMC 18; SNG Lloyd 1156). Well-struck, attractive cabinet tone, good very fine, an excellent example of this famous coin, of exceptional classical style.
Hammer: US$475,000
367
Attica, Athens (c. 510-490 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 17.22g., . Head of Athena facing to right, wearing a crested Attic helmet and an earring, a large pellet above her forehead. Rev. AΘE, owl standing to right, its head facing, an olive-sprig on left; all within an incuse square (Svoronos pl. 6, 8ff.; Seltman 340; Asyut, pl. 14, 261). Very well struck in high relief, well-centred and with full crest visible, wonderful late archaic style, lightly toned, nearly extremely fine, very rare, a superb coin.
Hammer: US$400,000
23
Calabria, Tarentum (c. 344-338 B.C.), Gold Stater, 8.56g., . Head of Hera facing to right, her curling hair held in a stephane decorated with palmettes, a diaphanous veil is visible on both sides of her neck, small E behind, a small dolphin swimming downwards and TAPA before. Rev. TAPANTINΩN, Taras standing to right, raising his hands in supplication towards Poseidon, seated left on a stool, wearing a himation over his lower limbs and holding a trident, K beneath stool, a star and├ on right (E.S.G. Robinson, Ancient Greek Coins in the possession of William Harrison Woodward (privately printed, Oxford, 1928), no. 4 (this coin); Vlasto 1 (these dies); Vlasto, ‘Le monnaies d’or de Tarente’, JIAN II, 1899, p. 306, I; A.J. Evans, ‘The Artistic Engravers of Terina and the Signature of Evaenetos on its later Didrachm Dies’, NC 1912, p. 45; Head, BM Principal Coins, pl. 25, 7 (these dies); HN Italy 901 (these
