| Heritage World Coin Auctions > NYINC Signature Sale 3113 | Auction date: 8 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 30014 Price realized: 9,000 USD (Approx. 8,204 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients SICILY. Syracuse. Hieron II (ca. 275-215 BC). AV decadrachm or 100 litrai (15mm, 4.29 gm, 10h). NGC MS 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style, brushed. Ca. 269-263 BC or 217-215 BC. Head of Persephone left with long flowing hair, one bunch tied at base, wreathed with grain ears, wearing pendant earring and beaded necklace; poppy to right / IEPΩNOΣ, charioteer driving fast biga right, kentron in right hand, reins in left. Gulbenkian 352. SNG ANS -. Impeccably detailed, wonderfully centered, and pristine. From the Wetmore Collection of Gold and Electrum. Ex Baldwins, Fixed Price List (26 May 2010), lot AG013. Hieron II was a military adventurer who fell in with the army of Pyrrhus during his great Western expedition of 280 BC. When Pyrrhus pulled out of Syracuse in 275 BC, Hieron remained behind as commander of the garrison. He cannily married Philistis, daughter of a prominent Syracusan noble, and a major victory against the Mamertines in 270 BC convinced the grateful populace to name him King. He reigned for the next 55 years with strength, intelligence, and justice. His gold coinage follows Syracusan tradition, with the wreathed head of Persephone on this lovely piece recalling the coinage of his predecessor Agathocles. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-sicily-syracuse-hieron-ii-ca-275-215-bc-av-decadrachm-or-100-litrai-15mm-429-gm-10h-ngc-ms-5-5-/a/3113-30014.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3113-01082024 HID02906262019 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 10000-15000 USD |  |
Match 1:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > Showcase Auction 61375 | Auction date: 20 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 25025 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | |
| Lot description: Ancients SICILY. Syracuse. Hieron II (ca. 275-215 BC). AE litra (22mm, 12h). NGC Choice XF, Fine Style. Head of Poseidon left, wearing taenia / ΙΕΡ-ΩΝΟΣ / Φ, trident head, dolphin swimming downward on either side. HGC 2, 1550. Gorgeous Fine Style devices with a deep olive green patina. Hieron II served as a military commander for Syracuse, and in 208 BC, he joined forces with the renowned Greek king Pyrrhus during Pyrrhus' ambitious expedition to the Western Mediterranean. Following Pyrrhus' departure from Syracuse in 275 BC, Hieron decided to remain in the city as its garrison commander. Hieron's political acumen and strategic alliances were crucial to his ascent to power. He strategically married Philistis, the daughter of a prominent Syracusan noble, which solidified his standing among the city's elite. A pivotal moment in his early years as commander was his decisive victory against the Mamertines in 270 BC. This victory garnered him the gratitude and support of the people of Syracuse, leading to his proclamation as King. Hieron II proceeded to rule Syracuse for an impressive 55 years, characterized by his strength, intelligence, and commitment to justice. Hieron II's reign left a lasting legacy in the annals of ancient history, marked by his ability to navigate the intricate political landscape of Syracuse and his enduring influence on the city's history and coinage. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-sicily-syracuse-hieron-ii-ca-275-215-bc-ae-litra-22mm-12h-ngc-choice-xf-fine-style/a/61375-25025.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-61375-05202024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 2:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 31029 Price realized: 40,000 USD (Approx. 37,212 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients PTOLEMAIC EGYPT. Berenice II (267/266-221 BC). AV mnaieion or octodrachm (29mm, 27.70 gm, 12h). NGC XF 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style. Ptolemaic standard. Posthumous issue under Ptolemy IV, ca. 211/10 BC. Veiled, diademed, and draped bust of Berenice II right, seen from front / ΒΕΡΕΝΙΚΗΣ-ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ, cornucopia bound with royal diadem, containing grape cluster hanging from rim, pomegranate, pyramidal cake, and grain ear; dotted border. CPE 895. Svoronos 1113. SNG Copenhagen 169. This exceptionally rare piece exudes a luxurious sheen of luster, captivating the eye. The Fine Style portrait of Berenice is masterfully rendered, blending classical elegance with realistic detail to create a strikingly beautiful depiction. Ex Dr. Lawrence A. Adams collection (Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 125, 23 June 2021), lot 338; Triton XIX, 2016, lot 2104. One of the most formidable Ptolemaic queens, Berenice II's family background was unusually convoluted and bloody even by Macedonian standards. Born in 267 BC, she was the daughter of the Cyrenaican king Magas and his wife Apama. In 249 BC, upon the death of Magas her mother married her off to Demetrius the Fair, son of Demetrius Poliorcetes, who was invited to become king of Cyrenaica. Demetrius, however, was more interested in Apama than her daughter and, catching him in her mother's bed, Berenice stabbed him to death. Despite this, her legendary beauty prompted Ptolemy III of Egypt to marry her in 244/3 BC and the duo became the foremost "power couple" in the world. Berenice appears to have ruled Egypt quite capably during her husband's long campaigns of conquest. During one such campaign she cut off her hair and dedicated it to Aphrodite for her husband's safe return. The hair mysteriously disappeared and was "discovered" in the heavens forming the constellation Coma Berenices. The tale entered legend as "The Lock of Berenice." She had six children, one of whom, Ptolemy IV, succeeded to the throne in 221 BC. Berenice originally ruled jointly with him but was soon murdered, probably at the instigation of her son. Gold and silver coins were minted in her name on both the Ptolemaic and Macedonian standards. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-ptolemaic-egypt-berenice-ii-267-266-221-bc-av-mnaieion-or-octodrachm-29mm-2770-gm-12h-ngc-xf-5-5-/a/3115-31029.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 30000-40000 USD |  |
Match 3:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > Showcase Auction 61375 | Auction date: 20 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 25020 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot | |
| Lot description: Ancients SICILY. Syracuse. Second Democracy (ca. 466-405 BC). AR tetradrachm (25mm, 17.23 gm, 3h). NGC Choice VF 4/5 - 4/5, Fine Style. Ca. 430-420 BC. Male charioteer, wearing long chiton, kentron in right hand, reins in left, driving walking quadriga right; Nike flying above to right, crowning horses / ΣYPAKOΣION, head of Arethusa right, hair in saccos decorated with a maeander pattern and zigzag bands, four dolphins swimming around. Boehringer 657 (V332/R448). HGC 2, 1319. A beautiful coin featuring an exquisitely rendered portrait of Arethusa on the obverse and of the quadriga being crowned on the reverse, all bathed in lovely graphite toning accented with subtle hints of mauve hues. Ex Economopoulos Numismatics, private sale with old dealer's tags included; Lucia Birkler Collection. The transitional era of Greek numismatic art is perfectly exemplified by the dies of this Syracusan tetradrachm, which displays a blend of Archaic and Classical artistic conventions. The obverse image of a charioteer driving his quadriga to right retains some Archaic elements, notably the rather stiff pose of the charioteer and the slow, stately gate of the horses; the reverse head of Arethusa, on the other hand, exhibits the cool classicism of contemporary Athenian art, as seen on the famous Parthenon frieze. The added touch of the maeander pattern (or "Greek key") adorning the snood-like saccos containing Arethusa's hair shows the precise, mathematical precision of a true master engraver. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-sicily-syracuse-second-democracy-ca-466-405-bc-ar-tetradrachm-25mm-1723-gm-3h-ngc-choice-vf-4-5/a/61375-25020.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-61375-05202024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 4:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > NYINC Signature Sale 3113 | Auction date: 8 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 31004 Price realized: 5,000 USD (Approx. 4,558 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients SICILY. Syracuse. Dionysius I (405-367 BC). AV 50-decadrachms or 50-litrai (11mm, 2.93 gm, 2h). NGC MS 4/5 - 5/5. Ca. 405-400 BC. ΣYPA, head of young river god (Anapos or Assinarus?) left; grain kernel behind / Horse prancing right; star above, all within incuse square. SNG ANS 348. HGC 2, 1281 (third stater or tetrobol). Handsome and well-preserved - one of only five certified with a Mint State grade. Ex Stacks Bowers and Ponterio, Sale 164 NYINC Auction (6 January 2012), lot 115; Classical Numismatic Group, Auction 46 (24 June 1998), lot 104. Dionysius I, known as the Tyrant of Syracuse, ushered in the zenith of Syracusan power through his military conquests and authoritarian rule. Despite his cruel and despotic nature, he was a visionary who harnessed the talents of eminent artists of his era to craft a political marketing campaign, in order to enhance the city's image and prestige, striking a balance between military might and cultural promotion. His reign, although marked by ruthless governance, significantly bolstered Syracuse's standing and influence in the ancient Mediterranean landscape. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-sicily-syracuse-dionysius-i-405-367-bc-av-50-decadrachms-or-50-litrai-11mm-293-gm-2h-ngc-ms-4-5-/a/3113-31004.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3113-01082024 HID02906262019 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 10000-12000 USD |  |
Match 5:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 32011 Price realized: 5,000 USD (Approx. 4,652 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients SICILY. Syracuse. Dionysius I (405-367 BC). AV 50-decadrachms or 50-litrai (12mm, 2.87 gm, 10h). NGC VF 5/5 - 4/5, Fine Style. ΣYPAKO-ΣIΩN, head of young river god (Anapos or Assinarus?) left / ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, Horse prancing right; all within shallow incuse square. SNG ANS 341 (same dies). SNG Fitzwilliam 1269 (same dies). SNG Copenhagen 688. HGC 2, 1281 (third stater or tetrobol). An expressive piece with vivid and lustrous surfaces. Ex Mark and Lottie Salton Collection. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-sicily-syracuse-dionysius-i-405-367-bc-av-50-decadrachms-or-50-litrai-12mm-287-gm-10h-ngc-vf-5-5/a/3115-32011.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
