A "mystery"
kantharos bearing coin ex-Forum, sold with an unknown
attribution and subsequently a chequered
attribution history over a few years: Uncertain, then Syros (
CNG), then
Pergamon, then Naxos (
HGC), then
Lydia possibly
Sardes .....
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-123031Lydia, Uncertain Mint, 4th Century BC, Æ 11Head of
Dionysos wreathed with ivy left.
Kantharos, between two letters 8-Ʒ (largely off-flan) being F (in Lydian) and S (in Lydian).
Unpublished in the
standard references, c.f.
CNG 100 (7 Oct. 2015) Lot 1487; Vögtli,
Pergamon 524;
CNG eAuction 248, lot 119 (Syros).
(11 mm, 1.456 g, 10h).
This coin was acquired with an
attribution "unknown". Subsequently,
CNG and others attributed the
type to the Cycladic islands, either Syros, or Naxos Some years later this was
corrected by
CNG to an uncertain Lydian
mint, possibly
Sardes.
CNG Auction 100 note: "In previous sales, this issue has been variously attributed to either Cycladic Naxos or Syros. While both cities struck coins with the same
types as on this issue, all of these cities’ bronzes consistently bear the first two letters of their respective
ethnic flanking the base of the
kantharos.
On this issue, however, these Greek letters have been replaced by two Lydian letters, allowing its correct attribution to a mint in Lydia. Sardes is a possibility, as it’s spelling in Lydian was Sfard."
I've posted below an image of the only
complete reverse I've come across to show the
complete Lydian
ethnic.
