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Taras, Calabria
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430-425 BC (Period I - Transitional)
AR Didrachm (22mm, 7.78g)
O: Phalanthos riding dolphin right, right hand leaning on dolphin's back, left arm extended; scallop shell below.
R: Naked boy pacing horse right, holding reins with both hands.
D'Andrea XV, 184; Vlasto 267; Fischer-Bossert 231f; Evans I, Type C; SNG France 1678; cf Cote 103; HGC I, 761; HN Italy 847
Very scarce
ex London Ancient Coins
While the 'Equestrian' types are the most common and readily recognizable didrachms from Taras they were far from the first. The dolphin rider was initially depicted on late 6th century broad flan incuse coins, and later paired with the seated oikist, either as the obverse or the reverse, but the horseman did not make his first appearance until the middle of the 5th century BC, and then as the reverse motif. Sir Arthur Evans (The Horsemen of Tarentum, 1889) declared this era 'Period 1' and called it transitional as the dolphin rider would move to the reverse later in the century and the horseman would claim his rightful place on the front. It would remain this way until the mint closed circa 212 BC.
As an aside it is my belief that the young nude jockey throughout the series is actually Taras, son of Poseidon the God of horses.
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