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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Gods, Non-Olympian| ▸ |Persephone||View Options:   | | | Persephone was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility, Queen of the Underworld, daughter of Demeter and Zeus and the consort of Hades. |
With an army of mercenaries, through deceit, and after banishing or murdering some 10,000 citizens, Agathocles made himself master of Syracuse and later most of Sicily. Machiavelli wrote of him, "It cannot be called prowess to kill fellow-citizens, to betray friends, to be treacherous, pitiless, and irreligious" and cited him as an example of "those who by their crimes come to be princes." According to the historian Justin, very early in life Agathocles parlayed his remarkable beauty into a career as a prostitute, first for men, and later, after puberty, for women, and then made a living by robbery before becoming a soldier and marrying a rich widow.SH79280. Silver tetradrachm, Ierardi 40 (O7/R23), SNG ANS 639 (same dies), SNG Delepierre 701, SNG Lloyd 1479, Boston MFA 460, HGC 2 1348 (S), SNG Cop -, SNG Munchen -, gVF, superb classical style, excellent centering on a tight flan, toned, flan flaw on obverse, weight 16.954 g, maximum diameter 25.2 mm, die axis 270o, Syracuse mint, c. 317 - 310/305 B.C.; obverse head of Persephone (or Arethusa) left, crowned with grain, wearing triple-drop earrings and a pearl necklace, surrounded by three dolphins, NI below; reverse quadriga galloping left, young charioteer wearing long chiton, kentron in right hand, reins in left hand, triskeles above; ΣYPAKOΣIΩN over AI monogram in exergue; ex Helios Numismatik, auction 6 (9 March 2011), lot 345; scarce; SOLD
Mytilene, Lesbos, c. 377 - 326 B.C.
Mytilene was famous in ancient times for its great output of electrum coins struck from the late 6th through mid - 4th centuries B.C. The usual denomination was the hekte (1/6th stater). Warwick Wroth noted in the British Museum Catalog, "The Sixths of [this Lesbos electrum series] form one of the most beautiful coin-series of the ancient world. This will be evident from a glance."SH73442. Electrum hekte, Bodenstedt 99; SNG Cop 321; SNGvA 1729; HGC 6 1025; Boston MFA 1735; Weber 5631, gVF, fine style, minor die wear, weight 2.564 g, maximum diameter 10.5 mm, die axis 0o, Mytilene mint, c. 377 - 326 B.C.; obverse head of Kabeiros right, wearing wreath and pileus, two stars flanking cap; reverse head of Persephone right in linear square; ex Triton XVII (6 - 7 Jan 2015), lot 599; ex CNG auction 72 (14 Jun 2006), lot 714; SOLD
Syracuse, Sicily, Agathokles, 317 - 289 B.C.
Although Agathocles was brutal in pursuit of power, afterward he was a mild and popular "tyrant." His grandest goal was to establish democracy as the dominant form of government for the world. He did not want his sons to succeed him as king and restored the Syracusan democracy on his death bed.
KOPAΣ is the Doric genitive of Kore, "the Maiden," an epithet of Persephone.SH95923. Silver tetradrachm, Ierardi 171 (O43/R114), SNG ANS 672, SNG München 1263, SNG Fitzwilliam 1344, HGC 2 1536, VF, attractive barbarous style, light tone with dark spots, flow lines, bumps, scratches, die wear, weight 17.047 g, maximum diameter 26.5 mm, die axis 180o, Syracuse mint, 310 - 308 B.C.; obverse KOPAΣ (conterclockwise behind), head of Kore right, wreathed in grain, wearing earring and necklace; reverse AΓAΘOKΛEIOΣ (curving clockwise on left), Nike standing half right, raising trophy of captured arms, nude to the hips, hammer in right hand, nail in left hand, counterclockwise triskeles at feet on left, no ground line; from the Errett Bishop Collection; SOLD
Mytilene, Lesbos, c. 377 - 326 B.C.
Mytilene was famous in ancient times for its great output of electrum coins struck from the late 6th through mid - 4th centuries B.C. The usual denomination was the hekte (1/6th stater). Warwick Wroth noted in the British Museum Catalog, "The Sixths of [this Lesbos electrum series] form one of the most beautiful coin-series of the ancient world. This will be evident from a glance."SH89443. Electrum hekte, Bodenstedt 88 (c/-); HGC 6 1014 corr. (same rev. die, R1); SNG Cop 314; SNGvA 7737; BMC Lesbos p. 162, 65; Traité II 2185, VF, beautiful style, well centered on a tight flan, light toning, scratches, weight 2.525 g, maximum diameter 10.2 mm, die axis 180o, Mytilene mint, c. 377 - 326 B.C.; obverse head of Persephone right, wreathed in grain, wearing earring; reverse bull butting to left within linear square; Numismatik Naumann auction 72 (2 Dec 2018), lot 131; SOLD
Mytilene, Lesbos, c. 377 - 326 B.C.
Mytilene was famous in ancient times for its great output of electrum coins struck from the late 6th through mid - 4th centuries B.C. The usual denomination was the hekte (1/6th stater). Warwick Wroth noted in the British Museum Catalog, "The Sixths of [this Lesbos electrum series] form one of the most beautiful coin-series of the ancient world. This will be evident from a glance."SH17933. Electrum hekte, Bodenstedt 88; HGC 6 1014 corr. (R1); SNG Cop 314; SNGvA 7737; BMC Lesbos p. 162, 65; Traité II 2185, VF, weight 2.509 g, maximum diameter 10.9 mm, die axis 180o, Mytilene mint, c. 377 - 326 B.C.; obverse head of Persephone right, wreathed in grain, wearing earring; reverse bull butting to left within linear square; SOLD
Syracuse, Sicily, Pyrrhus of Epirus, 278 - 276 B.C.
In 279 BC, Pyrrhus forces, supporting the Greek cities of southern Italy, met and defeated the Romans at the battle of Asculum in Apulia. Pyrrhus, however, lost many men, several close associates, and all of his baggage. When one of his soldiers congratulated him on his victory, he famously replied: "Another such victory and we are ruined!" From this we have the term Pyrrhic victory, a victory achieved at ruinous cost.SH58950. Silver octobol, SNG ANS 829, SNG Cop 94, aVF, weight 5.280 g, maximum diameter 21.4 mm, die axis 315o, Syracuse mint, 278 - 276 B.C.; obverse head of Persephone left, wearing wreath of grain, uncertain symbols behind head; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠYPPOY, Athena advancing left, seen from behind, spear in raised right hand, shield in left; SOLD
Mytilene, Lesbos, c. 454 - 427 B.C.
Mytilene's most famous citizens were the poets Sappho and Alcaeus and the statesman Pittacus (one of the Seven Sages of ancient Greece). Aristotle lived on Mytilene for two years, 337-335 B.C., with his friend and successor, Theophrastus (a native of the island), after becoming the tutor to Alexander, son of King Philip II of Macedon. In 56 A.D., Paul the Apostle stopped at Mytilene on the return trip of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:14).SH17930. Electrum hekte, Bodenstedt 49, aVF, good centering, weight 2.473 g, maximum diameter 10.3 mm, die axis 0o, Mytilene mint, c. 439 B.C.; obverse head of Persephone right; reverse head of lion right, tongue protruding; all in linear incuse square; very scarce; SOLD
Mytilene, Lesbos, c. 377 - 326 B.C.
Mytilene was famous in ancient times for its great output of electrum coins struck from the late 6th through mid - 4th centuries B.C. The usual denomination was the hekte (1/6th stater). Warwick Wroth noted in the British Museum Catalog, "The Sixths of [this Lesbos electrum series] form one of the most beautiful coin-series of the ancient world. This will be evident from a glance."SH86293. Electrum hekte, Bodenstedt 99; SNG Cop 321; SNGvA 1729; SNG Lockett 2763; BMC Lesbos p. 66, 98; Boston MFA 1735; Weber 5631; Pozzi 2331; HGC 6 1025 (R1), VF, light scratches, tight flan, weight 2.547 g, maximum diameter 10.7 mm, die axis 0o, Mytilene mint, c. 377 - 326 B.C.; obverse head of Kabeiros right, wearing pileus wreathed with laurel, two stars flanking cap; reverse head of Persephone right, wearing round earring, hair rolled, within linear square; SOLD
Gortyna, Crete, 4th Century B.C.
Gortyna in the southern part of central Crete, rivaled Cnossus in wealth and importance. A Gortynian decree of the third or second century B.C. required, under a penalty, the use of "the bronze money which the city has put in circulation," and established a fine to be paid by any one who "accepts in payment silver obols."GS77556. Silver drachm, Svoronos Crete p. 161, 32, pl. XIII, 6; McClean II 7111; SNG Cop -; BMC Crete -; Seager -; Weber -, aVF, overstruck, weight 5.102 g, maximum diameter 22.9 mm, Gortyna mint, 4th century B.C.; obverse head and neck of bull right, head turned slightly facing, round object to right from undertype; reverse head Persephone right, wearing wreath of grain and cross-folded taenia, rosette-shaped ear ornament and necklace, part of dotted square border from undertype, concave field; ex Gorny & Mosch auction 233 (6 Oct 2015), part of lot 3109; SOLD
Kroton, Bruttium, Italy, c. 300 - 250 B.C.
In 295 B.C., Kroton fell to the Syracusan tyrant Agathocles. When Pyrrhus invaded Italy in 280 B.C., it was still a considerable city, with twelve miles (19 km) of walls, but after the Pyrrhic War, half the town was deserted (Livy 24.3). What was left of its population submitted to Rome in 277 B.C. After the Battle of Cannae in the Second Punic War, Hannibal made it his winter quarters for three years and the city was not recaptured until 205 or 204 B.C. In 194 B.C., it became the site of a Roman colony. Little more is heard of it during the Republican and Imperial periods.GB92021. Bronze AE 18, SNG ANS 444; SNG Munich 1480; HN Italy 2234; BMC Italy p. 356, 117; Lindgren 339, aVF, green patina, porous, very nice for this rare type, weight 3.836 g, maximum diameter 17.9 mm, Kroton mint, c. 300 - 250 B.C.; obverse head of Persephone right, wreathed in grain; reverse three narrow crescents with horns outward, K-P-O around clockwise, one letter within each crescent; ex CNG e-auctions 233 (26 May 2010), lot 106 (est. $250, realized $270 plus fees); rare; SOLD
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