Offering of Lipara Bronzes - Ex Olphin, Freedman, and Virzi
ISLANDS off SICILY, Lipara. Circa 425 BC. Æ Hemilitron (38mm, 35.80 g, 11h). Head of Aiolos right, wearing pilos / Stylized stern of galley left; six pellets (mark of value) above, ΛIΠAPAI[ON] below. Manganaro,
Vittoria 46 = CNS 3/6 = Virzi 2084 (this coin); SNG Copenhagen 1084-5; BMC 1-5; SNG Morcom -; Laffaille -; McClean 3055. VF, brown patina. Rare.
From the J. Olphin Collection. Ex David Freedman Collection (Triton V, 15 January 2002), lot 282; Tom Virzi Collection (Leu 6, 8 May 1973), lot 280; Ars Classica X (5 June 1925), lot 349.
Aiolos was the god of the winds in Greek mythology. He was associated with the group of islands between Sicily and Italy, which were appropriately named the Aiolian Islands, of which Lipara was the largest and most important. In fact, Aiolos himself supposedly resided on the island of Lipara, hence his representation of their coins.
