Lot 3
Lucania. Metapontum, c. 520-510 BC. AR Nomos-Stater, Achaean standard (8.13 g). Ear of barley; META at right; all within elaborate beaded border. Reverse: Ear of barley in incuse, hatched border around. HN III 1479; Noe 129; SNG ANS 209ff. Sharp, unusually full strike. Beautifully toned, with hints of blue. A particularly nice and lustrous example. NGC graded About Uncirculated.
An ancient Achaean colony, Metapontum was recolonized in the early 6th century BC by inhabitants of the city of Sybaris, under the leadership of Leucippus. Its location on an exceptionally fertile plain off the Gulf of Taranto likely inspired both its name of Metapontum, meaning "beside the sea," and its civic badge, an ear of barley. The barley ear was likewise an emblem of Demeter, goddess of agriculture and harvests, and undoubtedly reflected the source of this city's wealth.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000.
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| Realized $2,300 |
