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G670 A Rare, Magnificent, and Highly Important Greek Silver Tetradrachm of Katane (Sicily), Possibly the Finest Known of Herakleidas’ Famed Facing Head Tetradrachms at Katane, a Remarkable Depiction of Apollo
G670 A Rare, Magnificent, and Highly Important Greek Silver Tetradrachm of Katane (Sicily), Possibly the Finest Known of Herakleidas’ Famed Facing Head Tetradrachms at Katane, a Remarkable Depiction of Apollo

SICILY, Katane. Silver. Tetradrachm. 17.24 g. Ca. 405 B.C.E.

Laureate head of Apollo facing threequarters left, his hair in an abundance of curls around the face; the artist’s signature HPAKEIA in field to right / Fast quadriga driven left with Nike above alighting from flight holding caduceus and wreath to crown charioteer; a broken rein trailing from farthest horse; in exergual area below, KATANAIN over tunny fish left

Condition: Extremely fine.

Possibly the finest known example of the better of the two dies by Herakleidas at Katane.

Though produced within five years or so of each other the Katane coins of Euainetos and Herakleidas are completely different in conception and execution. The types remain the same, Apollo and a chariot, but unrecognisably so. The artist Herakleidas has created a facing head of Apollo, very much in the manner of the contemporary masterpieces of Kimon and Eucleidas at Syracuse. At the same time the chariot has been transferred to the reverse (as can be seen from the rim of the reverse or punch die to the lower right), and the very fine head of Apollo has been accorded the primacy of the obverse it so richly deserves.

HUNT I, 83

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Taken on: July 7, 2011
Sets appears in:   • Facing Heads on Ancient Greek Coinage    • Masterpieces of Greek Coinage   
Groups appears in:   • The Ancient World   
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G670 A Rare, Magnificent, and Highly Important Greek Silver Tetradrachm of Katane (Sicily), Possibly the Finest Known of Herakleidas’ Famed Facing Head Tetradrachms at Katane, a Remarkable Depiction of Apollo

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