Nomos AG, 35
EUBOIA, Eretria. Circa 525-500 BC. AR Tetradrachm (36mm, 17.03 g, 1h). Bull standing left, head right, its right hind hoof raised to touch its nose; on its back, a swallow stands left; retrograde E below / Octopus within shallow incuse square. BCD Euboia 306 = H.A. Cahn,
Griechische Münzen archaischer Zeit (Basel, 1947), 14 (this coin); Traité I 1070 (this coin cited in note 3); BMC 21; De Luynes 2020; ACGC 268. Good VF, even light gray toning, a few trivial light marks under tone. Extremely rare, the third and finest known example, and the only one in private hands (the others are in the BM and BN). One of the largest ancient Greek coins in diameter and on a perfect flan.
Ex BCD Collection (Lanz 111, 25 November 2002), lot 306; John W. Garrett Collection (Part II, Numismatic Fine Arts & Leu, 16 October 1984), lot 213; Clarence S. Bement Collection (Naville VI, 28 January 1923), lot 1069; A. Rhousopoulos Collection (J. Hirsch XIII, 15 May 1905), 1896.
Another coin from many of the greatest collections ever assembled. Opportunities to purchase coins that are essentially irreplaceable in collecting ancient coins occur very infrequently. This is such an example, and one that fortunately has iconography of the highest caliber. Notice that the bull is scratching his nose with his hoof, a wonderful depiction of a daily event caught by the celator.
