| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 198 | Silver | Auction date: 25 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 65 Price realized: 700 EUR (Approx. 757 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Lesbos. Mytilene circa 412-378 BC. Sixth Stater or Hekte EL 10 mm, 2,53 g Horned head of Io right, wearing tainia / Head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath; all within linear square border within incuse square. Very Fine Bodenstedt 77; HGC 6, 1003. From a southern German private collection; Ex Leu Web Auction 11, Lot 883. In Greek mythology, Io was a mortal woman who was transformed into a cow by the god Zeus to protect her from the wrath of his jealous wife, Hera. Io was the daughter of the river god Inachus and was renowned for her beauty. Zeus, being notorious for his amorous affairs, became enamored with Io and seduced her. To conceal their affair from Hera, Zeus transformed Io into a cow. However, Hera, suspicious of her husband's activities, was not fooled by the disguise and demanded the cow as a gift. Zeus had no choice but to comply, and Hera entrusted the cow to the watchful guard of Argus, a giant with a hundred eyes. Zeus then sent Hermes, the messenger god, to rescue Io. Hermes lulled Argus to sleep with his stories and eventually slew him, freeing Io from her captivity. Despite her liberation, Io's trials were not over. Hera continued to torment her, sending a gadfly to sting her incessantly as she wandered the earth in her bovine form. Eventually, Io found refuge in Egypt, where Zeus restored her human form. Io later gave birth to a son named Epaphus, who would become a legendary king. Starting price: 200 EUR |  |
