Nomos 18

ISLANDS OFF CARIA, Rhodos. Ialysos. Circa 490-480 BC. Stater (Silver, 21 mm, 14.17 g, 12 h). Protome of winged boar flying to left; below, astragal. Rev. [Ι]ΑΛVΣΙΟΝ (upside-down in relation to the type - and with a retrograde Ν) Head of an eagle to left; below, possible traces of a fish tail; all within incuse square. Unpublished and apparently unique. Cf. Weiss & Hurter 20-21 (same obverse die, O.9, but with a different reverse die). A fascinating coin with a very curious reverse!. Struck from a worn and damaged obverse die and with a test cut across the reverse, otherwise, very fine.

This coin may well have been intended to be part of a new issue following W&H 20-21, but prior to the broad flan 22, which bears a legend on both sides. This is because there is what might be termed a hint of a symbol on the reverse: at the bottom of the coin, to right of the test cut, there are two relief lines that look suspiciously like a fish tail; unfortunately the crude, typically bean-shaped flan (as with 20-21) means that when the coin was struck the majority of the symbol failed to appear on the flan. In addition, the coin engraver, who was used to putting the legend below the bird's head, had to put it above since the normal space below was taken up by the symbol; as a result when he engraved the letters he used the edge of the die as his guide - as was done with the earlier pieces - but used the wrong orientation! Perhaps that's why this coin is unique! It is worth pointing out that there is a great deal of controversy concerning the identification of the bird's head on the obverse: aside from a generic eagle, scholars have also termed it a bearded vulture (Gypaëtos barbatus) or a gerfalcon (Falco rusticolus). Apparently the one way of being sure is to have the entire bird to examine: this is, obviously, not going to be easy...