360, Lot: 111. Estimate $100. Sold for $170. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRETE, Uncertain. 4th-3rd centuries BC. AR Hemidrachm (14mm, 2.79 g, 10h). Head of female left / Head of bull right, slightly turned facing. Unpublished in the standard references, but cf. Evans 1626 for a drachm with these types reversed in orientation, but very similar style, there attributed to Gortyna. Near Fine, toned, scratches, some porosity. Very rare.

From the BCD Collection.

The types here were used on silver drachms at a number of different mints on Crete: Gortyna, Phaistos, Polyrhenion, Praisos, and Sybrita. Polyhrenion can probably be discounted, as the bull’s head is always depicted facing on all denominations of their coinage. Stylistically, this piece is most similar to issues at Gortyna and Praisos, but not closely enough to discount Phaistos and Sybrita.