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Lot # 12 - Greek Italy. Coastal Etruria, Luca (?). AR 10 Units, 3rd century BC. Obv. Hippocamp right; above, dolphin right and CC; below, dolphin left. Rev. Blank. Vecchi EC Series 8.18 (this coin); HN Italy 98; HGC 1 65. AR. 3.9 g. 16.5 mm. RR. Very rare and choice example for issue. Nice tone. Good VF. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 6, 11 March 1993, lot 6. The city of Luca, originally settled by the Ligurians, is believed to derive its name from the Ligurian term luk, meaning 'marshy place.' By the fifth century BC, Luca's control oscillated between various factions, notably the Etruscans, who by the fourth century BC appeared to have solidified their dominance over the city. Historically significant, Luca offered refuge to Ti. Sempronius Longus and his decimated Roman forces following Hannibal’s decisive victory at the Battle of the Trebia in 218 BC. Subsequently, in 177 BC, Luca was formally refounded as a Roman colony, marking the onset of the city’s full Romanization, which coincided with the broader decline of Etruscan culture throughout the region. The present coin, struck during the third century BC, represents a period in which Roman influence was increasingly prevalent in Etruria, yet it retains several defining features of Etruscan numismatics. Etruscan coinage of this era is characterized by uniface strikes—unlike the contemporaneous Greek coinage, which was typically struck on both sides. The present example was struck with a single hammer die, leaving the reverse with the natural impression of the striking surface. Notably absent are inscriptions naming the issuing authority, a hallmark of Greek coinage, and instead, Etruscan coins frequently feature numerals, as seen here with the mark of value 'X,' indicating 10 units. These units likely correspond to the Roman bronze as, the standard denomination adopted by various Italic peoples. The attribution of this hippocamp issue has been subject to scholarly debate. Previously, it had been tentatively attributed to the mints of Populonia or Vetulonia, key centers in southwestern Etruria. However, recent numismatic evidence from hoard finds supports Luca as the more probable mint for this series.
Starting price: € 2'000
Number of bids: 20
Sold: € 6'500
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Lot # 48 - Greek Italy. Southern Apulia, Tarentum. AR Nomos, c. 510-500 BC. Obv. Phalanthos riding dolphin right, extending left hand, right hand resting on dolphin’s back; TARAS (retrograde) to left, scallop shell below, dot-and-cable border around. Rev. Incuse of obverse type; radiate border around. HN Italy 826; HGC 1 752; Vlasto 64-5; Fischer-Bossert Group 1, 7 (V6/R6); Weber 511 (same dies). AR. 7.18 g. 25 mm. RR. Very rare and attractive early issue, well centred and struck. VF/Good VF. Dating from the late sixth century BC, this nomos features the figure of Phalanthus, depicted nude and riding a dolphin—a motif that became a central iconographic element in the coinage of Taras. The scene represents the legendary dolphin’s conveyance of Phalanthus across the sea to Italy, following the guidance of the Delphic oracle. The presence of a pecten shell in the lower field symbolically reinforces this maritime journey. According to Pausanias’ Periegesis (2nd century AD), statues of Taras, Phalanthus, and the dolphin (cf. Paus. X 13) were among the votive offerings (anathemata) dedicated to Delphi by the Tarantines, constructed from a fifth of the spoils captured from the Peucetii and Iapygians. The reverse of this coin mirrors the obverse, rendered in incuse—a numismatic technique typical of early coinage from Southern Italy, including Taras and other important cities in the region. This incuse method, a hallmark of archaic coin production, highlights the technical sophistication of Tarentine die engravers and their adherence to early coinage traditions.
Starting price: € 2'500
Number of bids: 9
Sold: € 3'600
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