Sale: Nomos 8, Lot: 38. Estimate CHF12500.  Closing Date: Monday, 21 October 2013.  Sold For CHF52000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Katane. c. 430-420 . Tetradrachm (Silver, 24mm, 17.33 g 9). Quadriga moving slowly to the right; above, Nike flying left to crown the charioteer. Rev. ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΟΝ Laureate head of Apollo to right, with his hair cut short in the manner of an athlete. Gulbenkian 183. Rizzo pl. XI, 2. SNG ANS 1252. SNG Lloyd 896. Rare. Lightly toned and of very fine early classical style. Slightly rough surfaces and some marks, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From the B. in B. Collection, ex Bank Leu 28, 5 May 1981, 26.

The head of Apollo on this coin shows the god as an ideal youth with his hair cut short, just as if he were a member of the local aristocracy preparing to compete in a race, perhaps at the Olympics. There is no sign of the effeminacy that sometimes appears on his portraits with longer hair; yet at the same time there is also no brutal masculinity. This is a god who has a human shape but is also divine. As a coin this is a piece of exceptional quality.