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BAKTRIA, Indo-Greek Kingdom. Menander I Soter. Circa 155-130 BC. AV Stater (18mm, 8.12 g, 12h). Draped bust of Athena right, wearing crested helmet adorned with wing; all within bead-and-reel border / Owl standing right on ground line, head facing; A to left; all within bead-and-reel border. Bopearachchi 1A; MIG Type 211a (second example) = BM 1939.0512.1 ([ex R.B. Whitehead bequest] same dies); SNG ANS 682; Boston MFA Supp. 312; Treasures of Ancient Bactria (Miho Museum), 46a; HGC 12, 494. Traces of deposits in devices, numerous cleaning marks. Good VF. Extremely rare. Not suitable for encapsulation.
Unlike his silver and bronze issues, the gold coinage of Menander I Soter is very rare (as is the case with Baktrian gold issues in general). This stater, with the helmeted head of Athena on the obverse and an owl on the reverse, is among the rarest. This series has been known since the first specimen in the BM was reported in 1888, and a handful of others have come to light over the past century. More recently, though, there has been debate regarding the authenticity of some examples of this issue. Mitchiner questioned the authenticity of some of the examples he recorded (noted below), but did not doubt the 1888 British Museum specimen. Bopearachchi, in a note on the series, repeated Mitchiner’s reservation without further elucidation. Some examples, such as the two in the ANS, have been condemned, but many of the known pieces remain as likely genuine. A thorough study of this issue is currently in production for publication.
1. A/a
a) Triton XXVIII, lot 425 (early obverse die state)
2. A/b (examples in order of obverse die state)
a) Bombay, Prince of Wales Museum [A.S. Altekar, JNSI 11 (1949), pp. 45–6 (1917 Howell purchase)]
b) CNG 102, lot 706
c) Koka, Miho Museum [Treasures of Ancient Bactria 46a]
3. A/c (examples in order of obverse die state)
a) London, British Museum, inv. 1939,0512.1 [R. B. Whitehead, NC 1940, 5 = Haughton 395 (questioned by Mitchiner)]
b) Oxford, Ashmolean HCR6543 (L.S. Forrer exchange 1954)
c) Oxford, Ashmolean HCR653 (de S. Shortt bequest 1975)
d) New York, ANS 1997.9.185 [JDL bequest, purchased from Spink = Haughton 395]
e) CNG 133, lot 422 (this coin)
4. A/d
a) London, British Museum, inv. 1888,1208.283 [MIG Type 211a (top photo)] transitions from these earlier examples (note the horseshoe marks behind the head)
5. A?/a?
a) ANS 1955.51.100 [HWF bequest = SNG ANS 682]
6. C/f
a) Boston, Museum of Fine Arts [Boston MFA Supp. 312 = Haughton Collection 397]
7. Unseen
a) Varanasi, Banaras Hindu University [A.S. Altekar, JNSI 11 (1949), p. 46]
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 133 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 15-16 September 2026.
CNG Feature Auction 133 – Session Two – Lot 309-594 will be held Tuesday morning, 15 September 2026 beginning at 2:00 PM 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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