Lot 59 - Masterpieces of Greek coinage

Asia Minor. Caria, Kaunos.  ...
Asia Minor. Caria, Kaunos.  ...
Asia Minor. Caria, Kaunos. Stater, c. 410 - 390 BC. (Silver, 11.71g., 25.5mm). Iris, in the running-kneeling position, three-quarters ... Read more - An astonishing coin of great beauty with a marvelous representation of Iris, the winged messenger of the gods. Perfectly centered and beautifully toned. Good extremely fine.
Starting price:
100.000,00 CHF

Bids

Lot status:
Auction closed

Description

Asia Minor. Caria, Kaunos.
Stater, c. 410 - 390 BC. (Silver, 11.71g., 25.5mm). Iris, in the running-kneeling position, three-quarters to left, wearing a long, transparent chiton; holding a kerykeion in her right hand and a wreath in her left; her head turned back to right with her hair bound up in a sakkos / Pyramidal baetyl between an inverted ∆ and an Ι; all within a shallow incuse square with partially curved edges. BMC Cilicia p. 97, 11 and pl. 16, 7 (same dies). K. Konuk, Essays Price, 112b (this coin, illustrated).
Kaunos (IACP 898) was an important Carian harbor city, which became increasingly Hellenized from the 6th century on (it was originally a Carian city named χbid), but it was only a truly fully Greek city in the Hellenistic period. The Iris-coinage of the 5th century seems to have been issued on a considerable scale and, as this coin shows, included at least one superlative die cutter among its mint personnel.

Grading/Status: An astonishing coin of great beauty with a marvelous representation of Iris, the winged messenger of the gods. Perfectly centered and beautifully toned. Good extremely fine.

Notes
Provenance:
Numismatica Ars Classica 48, 21 October 2008, 98.
Bank Leu 48, 10 May 1989, 239 (cover coin).
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Masterpieces of Greek coinage

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Auction: Masterpieces of Greek coinage

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Timetable

Pre-bidding - End
14 12 2015 10:00 CET
14 12 2015 09:00 Africa/Abidjan

Room auction - Start
14 12 2015 15:00 CET
14 12 2015 14:00 Africa/Abidjan