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Important copyright information:
The data below is presented by permission of the copyright holder(s). Reproduction is allowed only by authorization from LHS Numismatik AG.
| LHS Numismatik AG > Auction 96 | Auction date: 8 May 2006 |
| Lot number: 42 | |
| Lot description: Megara Megarian issues of the Roman Period Estimate: CHF 200.00 Assarion (AE, 5.99 g, 19 mm, 10), early 2nd century AD (?). Laureate head of Apollo to right, his hair flowing in locks down the back of his neck. Rev. Four-stringed kithara. Agora –. BMC –. Lindgren 1587. SNG Cop. 469. Very rare. Attractive brownish-red patina. Good very fine. Another surprising coin from the BCD collection. At first glance this coin would appear to be yet another stylistic variant of the usual Apollo/kithara series from the late 3rd century BC on. However, the lunate epsilons and the open omega immediately show that this coin must be considerably later in date than they are. In fact, as I have suggested above, it is not only of Roman date, but, more exactly, Hadrianic. As noted with the 2 assarion above, the fabric and style are quite unlike the late Antonine and Severan provincial issues so this coin has to be earlier. It seems unlikely, however, that Megara would have produced much of a coinage during the early Empire, in part because of the city’s proximity to the prolific mint of Corinth, and in part because of all the reports we have of the city’s impoverishment. I would suggest that, as at Athens, Megara produced no coinage during the 1st century AD. This coin, which is a very careful copy of Megara’s late Hellenistic coinage, except for the ‘modernized’ script and the extremely careful, even fussy workmanship, would fit perfectly into the Hadrianic period, a time when similar archaizing coins were produced at Athens as well. All these Hadrianic issues (including the previous and following lots), must have been produced in very small numbers for donative purposes, perhaps, even, to celebrate an imperial visit or benefaction. As noted above there is another assarion, struck from the same obverse die, bearing the same type of Artemis running to right holding two torches (SNG Cop. 485, Pozzi [Boutin] 3635) as appeared on the 2 assarion with the head of Eukleides. Two other coins, Agora 650-651, may well be part of this issue (perhaps serving as quarter assaria), but neither are present in the BCD collection. |  |
