SICILY, Syracuse. Hieron II. 275-215 BC. AV Drachm – Hemistater (15.5mm, 4.26 g, 12h). Struck 269-263 or 217-215 BC. Good VF.

CNG Feature Auction 129
Lot: 66.
Closing Date: May 14 2025 11:00 ET

Greek, 12h, Gold

Estimate: $ 3 000

BID NOW

SICILY, Syracuse. Hieron II. 275-215 BC. AV Drachm – Hemistater (15.5mm, 4.26 g, 12h). Struck 269-263 or 217-215 BC. Wreathed head of Persephone left; boukranion to right / Nike, holding kentron and reins, driving fast biga left; A below, IEPΩNOΣ in exergue. Carroccio 28–32 var. (unlisted dies); BAR Issue 55; HGC 2, 1539. Trace deposits, a few hairlines. Good VF.

Ex Father & Son Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 118, 13 November 2021), lot 90, purchased from Moruzzi Numismatica (ticket included); Bertolami Fine Arts 37 (19 September 2017), lot 108.

Hieron II started life as the illegitimate son of a noble father, allegedly a distant descendant of the Syracusan tyrant Gelon I. Later legends claim Hieron was exposed as an infant, but swarms of bees fed him honey until his father, warned by an astrologer, came and rescued the boy. As a young man, he served as a mercenary soldier in the army of Pyrrhos of Epeiros. When his commander elected to abort his Sicilian expedition in 275 BC, Hieron stayed behind and convinced a cabal of fellow soldiers to choose him as leader and seize power in Syracuse. He went on to rule the city and much of Sicily, first as a military tyrant, later as an enlightened and successful king, for nearly 50 years. He is most famous as the king who patronized the brilliant polymath Archimedes in his “eureka!” discovery, the principle of displacement. Hieron’s coinage is widely varied, interesting, and in many ways inspired by that of his Hellenistic ally, the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 129 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 13-14 May 2025. This lot is in Session One, which will begin 13 May at 9 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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