Lucanie - Metaponte - Statere (400-350) - Magistrate HP.
Lucanie - Metaponte - Statere (400-350) - Magistrate HP.
Very rare and of a remarkable style.
Copy of the sale Peus 407
of November 7, 2012, No. 88.
7.85g - Noe Metapont II 527
Superb - CHOICE AU
Metapontum was located some 40 kms away from Tarentum, and - according to Strabo - had been founded by inhabitants of Pylos (in the Peloponnese) who had followed Nestor to Troy. It was one of the first cities of Magna Graecia to issue coinage, long before Tarentum, and - whilst most other cities chose types which illustrated their foundation myths or principal cults - Metapontum instead chose to depict the source of its wealth, whilst the obverses depict a number of portraits: Apollo, Zeus, Heracles, Leucippus, Athena Tharragoras and Demeter (?). Indeed, it seems to make little doubt that the obverse of this attractive coin depicts Demeter, the goddess of corn, considering that the reverse shows an ear of barley. But on a gold emission of circa 302 BC, Metapontum issued coins depicting the head of a facing goddess wearing a pendant earring and a necklace of beads / pearls, who was assumed to depict either Demeter or Persephone, until a variety was discovered in the 1960s with the inscription NIKA (ref. HN Italy N° 1629) which identifies the female deity as Nike. The variety of profiles found on the coins of Metapontum suggests that the engravers were drawing inspiration from actual local women, and the similarities with the portraits of Arethusa on the dekadrachms of Syracuse suggest that Italian Greek mercenaries brought some of these coins with them when returning home, and that they inspired local die engravers such as Euainetos. Automatically translated by DeepL. To see the original version, click here.
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Lucanie - Metaponte - Statere (400-350) - Magistrate HP.
Very rare and of a remarkable style.
Copy of the sale Peus 407
of November 7, 2012, No. 88.
7.85g - Noe Metapont II 527
Superb - CHOICE AU
Metapontum was located some 40 kms away from Tarentum, and - according to Strabo - had been founded by inhabitants of Pylos (in the Peloponnese) who had followed Nestor to Troy. It was one of the first cities of Magna Graecia to issue coinage, long before Tarentum, and - whilst most other cities chose types which illustrated their foundation myths or principal cults - Metapontum instead chose to depict the source of its wealth, whilst the obverses depict a number of portraits: Apollo, Zeus, Heracles, Leucippus, Athena Tharragoras and Demeter (?). Indeed, it seems to make little doubt that the obverse of this attractive coin depicts Demeter, the goddess of corn, considering that the reverse shows an ear of barley. But on a gold emission of circa 302 BC, Metapontum issued coins depicting the head of a facing goddess wearing a pendant earring and a necklace of beads / pearls, who was assumed to depict either Demeter or Persephone, until a variety was discovered in the 1960s with the inscription NIKA (ref. HN Italy N° 1629) which identifies the female deity as Nike. The variety of profiles found on the coins of Metapontum suggests that the engravers were drawing inspiration from actual local women, and the similarities with the portraits of Arethusa on the dekadrachms of Syracuse suggest that Italian Greek mercenaries brought some of these coins with them when returning home, and that they inspired local die engravers such as Euainetos. Automatically translated by DeepL. To see the original version, click here.
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