TROAS, Ilion. Circa 185-50 BC. AR Tetradrachm (37mm, 15.02 g, 12h). Apemantos, president of the aonothetai. VF.

CNG Feature Auction 129
Lot: 216.
Closing Date: May 14 2025 11:00 ET

Greek, 12h, Silver

Estimate: $ 750

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TROAS, Ilion. Circa 185-50 BC. AR Tetradrachm (37mm, 15.02 g, 12h). Apemantos, president of the aonothetai. Helmeted head of Athena right / The Palladion: Athena Ilias standing right, holding distaff and filleted spear; monogram to inner left; to inner right, owl standing right, head facing. Ellis-Evans dies O8/R23; Bellinger T44 (same dies as illustration); BnF Fonds général 680 (same dies). Toned, some find patina, light roughness, cleaning scratches and marks. VF. Rare.

Founded in the seventh century BC by Aeolians on the site of ancient Troy, Ilion prospered and ultimately developed into a successful Hellenistic city. It possessed a famous temple of Athena (‘Ilias’) that was visited by King Xerxes of Persia and later by Alexander the Great. With the collapse of Seleukid authority in Asia Minor in 189 BC, Ilion, in common with many other communities of western Asia Minor, celebrated its liberation from regal authority by issuing large and impressive tetradrachms. These honor the goddess Athena Ilias, whose helmeted head appears as the obverse type, while the reverse features her standing figure, probably the statue which stood within the sanctuary. The names appearing on these issues are not technically magistrates, but influential citizens who financed the coinage from their own wealth in return for recognition on the coins (see Bellinger, "The First Civic Tetradrachms of Ilium" in ANSMN VIII [1958], pp. 23-24).

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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