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Obolos 12

31 March 2018
Webauction
overview
Starting Price: 150 CHF
Hammer Price:  260 CHF
Lot 384

CILICIA. Kelenderis. Circa 430-420 BC. Stater (Silver, 21 mm, 10.71 g, 6 h). Youthful nude rider seated sideways on horse prancing to left, holding the reins with his right hand and a goad in his left, preparing to jump off and run alongside the horse. Rev. ΚΕΛE Goat kneeling to left, its head turned back to right. Casabonne Type 2. Celenderis Series II, 9 var (O-/R5 unlisted obv. die). SNG France 52. Bright and clear. Struck on an oddly shaped flan, lacking the rider's head, otherwise, good very fine.



The interesting thing about the many coins of Kelenderis that are known struck on oddly shaped flans - with the result that some of their design is off the flan - is that they gave rise to some curious explanations as to why the coins were struck the way they were. It is thought that a coin like this, but with the rider's head completely missing, served as the inspiration for Washington Irving's famous story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which was written in Birmingham, England, during Irving's long sojourn in Europe (1815-1832). Irving would have seen a similar in the collection of one of the litterati with whom he was increasingly friendly (he was, for example, quite close to Sir Walter Scott).

Online bidding closes: 31 Mar 2019, 18:12:00 CEST Current Date & Time: 28 Mar 2024, 14:18:15 CET Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:260 CHF by her_walt (4 bids)
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