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Research Coins: Electronic Auction

 

Very Rare Issue with ΣAM

383, Lot: 137. Estimate $200.
Sold for $600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CIMMERIAN BOSPOROS, Nymphaion. Circa 400 BC. AR Hemiobol (7mm, 0.29 g, 6h). Head of nymph right, hair in sphendone / Head of lion right; ΣAM to left. Stolba, ΣAMMAΣ 10 (V1/R1); Anokhin 952; MacDonald p. 25; HGC 7, 16. Fine, toned. Very rare, only six examples recorded by Stolba, none in CoinArchives.


The ΣAM on the reverse has been the subject of debate, as has the attribution of this issue to Nymphaion. MacDonald omitted this issue from his corpus, as its attribution to the city was uncertain. Both Anokin and Stolba do place them at Nymphaion, but differ on the interpretation of the legend. Anokin thinks it refers to Samian refugees who struck coinage in the city, while Stolba thinks it refers to a local tyrant named Sammas who is otherwise unknown today.