| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 188 | Black | Auction date: 17 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 17 Price realized: 2,200 EUR (Approx. 2,419 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Thraco-Macedonian Tribes. Derrones after circa 480 BC. Dodekadrachm AR 33 mm, 37,19 g Male driver, wearing petasos and robes, seated to left on a throne-like chair, mounted on a two-wheeled ox-cart moving slowly to left, holding the reins in his left hand and a curious goad in his raised right; above the oxen, crested Corinthian helmet to left / Triskeles to right, almost totally effaced by die wear, on plain field. nearly very fine, broken and glued AMNG 7; SNG ANS -; Svoronos Pl. II, 4; Sear 1315; cf. HGC 3, 280 and 287. Ex Emporium Hamburg Auction 79, Lot 87. "It seems to me that the production of these massive coins must have satisfied some internal need of the Derroneans and that any benefit derived through trade was most likely a byproduct. True, the coins of the Derrones are also found in Egypt and southern Turkey, but there is no real way of determining any direct contact. Once the coin left their territory, it could have ended up anywhere. Which brings us back to our original question. It seems odd that a society made up of essentially small farmers and ranchers would feel the need to produce these massive coins. It seems more likely that the coinage was ceremonial, perhaps some form of gifting event. During such an event the king or some other leader would give valuable gifts to his most important supporters at some form of ceremony. In this case, the weight may not have been the most important thing compared to perhaps the number and size of the coins. This might explain why the overall weight standard appears to drop over time and the individual issues seem to form rather tight weight groups." - quote: Terence Cheesman From the Matteo Savoca collection Starting price: 1 EUR |  |
