Of “enchanting beauty,” the firm said, the work is at the hands of an extremely talented master engraver. The coin is considered one of the most important and desirable coins of the entire Greek world. Its creator has left no name behind him, but none but a consummate artist of remarkable and original genius could have produced this unforgettable and amazing little gem.” Design superlatives If a single coin had to be selected from those described in these pages, as by the greatest of all die-engravers, whoever he may have been, whose work had lasted to the present day, the writer would choose this one. That so much expression could be packed into so small a round would not be believed by anyone who had not seen it. The extreme beauty of this rare type of Panticapaeum has been charmingly summed up by Godfrey Locker Lampson, whose example was struck from the same dies as this coin.Īs he puts it, “The head of the satyr is a marvel of speaking portraiture. However, of these, it is really only the three-quarter facing head issue of Panticapaeum that is truly worthy of being placed directly beside Kimon’s tetradrachm as a monument of Greek numismatic art. “The fashion appears to have been triggered by the exquisite three-quarter facing head of Arethusa pioneered by Kimon during the period of the signing artists at Syracuse, after which similar heads also began to appear on coins struck by cities like Heracleia in Italy, Larissa in Thessaly, Aenus in Thrace, Amphipolis in Macedonia, and even Persian satraps in Cilicia and Samaria.” “He may have been inspired to attempt this artistically difficult new treatment of the head under the influence of a wider numismatic fashion for three-quarter facing heads on Greek coins that developed at the end of the fifth and in the early fourth century B.C.,” according to the auction house. On the staters of Panticapaeum the head of the satyr is always depicted in profile facing left except for one spectacular and extremely rare issue for which the engraver decided to break with custom and depict the satyr facing three-quarters left. The griffin type probably alludes to the mythical composite creatures who were believed to guard gold found in the mountains of Scythia, as reported by Herodotus and Pliny the Elder. “While the former has sometimes been misunderstood as a representation of Pan and therefore a punning reference to the city, it has been shown that the features are actually those of a nameless satyr and the head should probably be understood as a reference to the Spartocid dynasty of Bosporan kings, whose real founder was a certain Satyros I,” the firm said. These coins regularly featured the head of a satyr on the obverse and a griffin with a spear in its mouth on the reverse. Guarantee of Satisfaction: Free returns for replacement or full refund.Gold staters were produced in the name of the city on both a local Bosporan standard (about 9.1 grams) and the internationally recognized Attic standard (about 8.6 grams) between circa 380 B.C.Comes with a Collector’s Guide that provides fascinating details about the coin’s history and design, as well as a magnifying loupe so you can marvel at the workmanship that dates back to many centuries before the birth of Christ.Accompanied by a luxurious wooden Display Chest (measuring approximately 5½" x 1½" x 4½").Sealed in a clear archival holder that preserves its exquisite designs for generations to come…while allowing you to examine the details on both sides safely without fear of damage from dust, dirt and fingerprints.Vast quantities were melted down over thousands of years fewer than 50 are available from PCS Stamps & Coins!.Struck by hand in at least 95% pure gold, containing about the same amount as a U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |