| Classical Numismatic Group > Triton XXVII | Auction date: 9 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 84 Price realized: 2,250 USD (Approx. 2,061 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SICILY, Syracuse. Philistis, wife of Hieron II. 275-215 BC. AR 16 Litrai – Tetradrachm (25mm, 13.59 g, 4h). Struck circa 240-218/5 BC. Diademed and veiled head left; torch to right / BAΣIΛIΣΣAΣ ΦIΛIΣTIΔOΣ, Nike, holding reins in both hands, driving fast quadriga right; E below horses. CCO 49 (D12/R31); BAR Issue 65; HGC 2, 1554; SNG ANS 884 (same dies); SNG Ashmolean 2107 (same dies); SNG München 1357 and 1359 (same dies); McClean 1398 (same dies); Ward 337 (same dies); Weber 1707 (same dies). Lightly toned, minor die wear on obverse. Near EF. Ex Jacquier 49 (17 September 2021), lot 66. Philistis was the daughter of an influential Syracusan named Leptines. Hieron, a mercenary refugee from the army of Pyrrhos of Epeiros, took control of Syracuse after Pyrrhos' withdrawal from the city in 275 BC. Hieron immediately sought out and married Philistis to secure his position with the city's elite. His coinage in her name commenced after he was proclaimed king (and she queen) in 265 BC and reflects the strong influence of Ptolemaic Egypt, depicting her veiled head in a manner reminiscent of Egyptian queens Arsinoe II and Berenike II. Estimate: 2000 USD |  |
Match 1:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Triton XXVII | Auction date: 9 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 86 Price realized: 3,000 USD (Approx. 2,748 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SICILY, Syracuse. Philistis, wife of Hieron II. 275-215 BC. AR 5 Litrai – Drachm (19mm, 4.45 g, 9h). Struck circa 217-215 BC. Diademed and veiled bust left; palm frond to right / BAΣIΛIΣΣAΣ ΦIΛIΣTIΔOΣ, Nike driving fast quadriga right, holding reins in both hands; E to right. CCO 224 (D4/R3); BAR Issue 68; HGC 2, 1558; SNG ANS 892 (same dies); SNG Lockett 1016 (same dies); BMC 559 (same dies); Boston MFA 478 (same dies). Toned with some iridescence and light golden hues, hairline flan crack, slight porosity. EF. Rare. Estimate: 1500 USD |  |
Match 2:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 558 | Auction date: 20 March 2024 |
| Lot number: 44 Price realized: 500 USD (Approx. 460 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SICILY, Syracuse. Gelon, son of Hieron II. 275-215 BC. AR 4 Litrai – Drachm (16mm, 3.32 g, 12h). Struck circa 218/7-214 BC. Diademed head left / Eagle standing right on thunderbolt; E to left, BA to right. CCO 285 (D1/R1); BAR Issue 67; HGC 2, 1563; SNG ANS 898–9 (same dies); SNG Lloyd 1550 (same dies); SNG Lockett 1020 = Pozzi 656 (same dies). Iridescent tone, patches of horn silver, minor marks. VF. From the Weise Collection. Ex Gorny & Mosch 138 (7 March 2005), lot 30. Estimate: 300 USD |  |
Match 3:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Triton XXVII | Auction date: 9 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 85 Price realized: 4,000 USD (Approx. 3,664 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SICILY, Syracuse. Philistis, wife of Hieron II. 275-215 BC. AR 16 Litrai – Tetradrachm (26.5mm, 13.58 g, 6h). Struck circa 240-218/5 BC. Diademed and veiled head left; grain ear to right / BAΣIΛIΣΣAΣ ΦIΛIΣTIΔOΣ, Nike, wearing long chiton, holding reins in both hands, driving fast quadriga right; crescent above, KIΣ to right, grain ear below. CCO 70 (D17/R47); Burnett, Enna 41; BAR Issue 65; HGC 2, 1554; SNG München 1350 (same dies). Iridescent tone, traces of find patina, slight die wear on obverse. EF. From the Wayne Scheible Collection, purchased from Harlan J Berk, Ltd. (their ticket included). Estimate: 2000 USD |  |
Match 4:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Triton XXVII Online Sessions | Auction date: 17 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 5054 Price realized: 750 USD (Approx. 689 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SICILY, Syracuse. Philistis, wife of Hieron II. 275-215 BC. AR 16 Litrai – Tetradrachm (27.5mm, 13.05 g, 10h). Struck circa 240-218/5 BC. Diademed and veiled head left; star to right / Nike driving slow quadriga right; star above, K to right. CCO 121 (D8/R31); BAR Issue 65; HGC 2, 1556. Some light roughness, delamination along edge. VF. Ex Noble 127 (30 August 2021), lot 4106; Noble 51 (3 July 1996), lot 2081. Estimate: 500 USD |  |
Match 5:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 670 Price realized: 2,400 CHF (Approx. 2,728 USD / 2,534 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SICILY. Syracuse. Philistis, wife of Hieron II, 275-215 BC. 16 Litrai or Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 13.65 g, 5 h), circa 240-218/5. Diademed and veiled bust of Philistis to left; behind, wreath. Rev. [Β]ΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑ[Σ] - ΦΙΛΙΣΤΙΔΟΣ Nike driving slow quadriga to right, holding reins in both hands; above, Φ. Burnett, Enna, -. CCO 166 (D10/R21). HGC 2, 1556. Attractive iridescent toning and with a wonderful portrait. Minor flan fault on the obverse and small die breaks on the reverse, otherwise, nearly extremely fine. From the collection of the renowned Swiss architect Max Vogt (1925-2019), privately acquired from Schweizerische Kreditanstalt Monetarium on 30 August 1993. Queen Philistis is known only from her coins, which were called Philistideia, and from an inscription in the theatre of Syracuse (IG XIV 3), where her name appears alongside that of Queen Nereis, who was a daughter of Pyrrhos of Epeiros and the wife of Gelon, the son of the King, Hieron II (275-215 BC). Given this connection and the large output of coins in Philistis' name, it is very likely that she was Hieron's wife. Starting price: 1000 CHF |  |
