Nomos 19

BRUTTIUM. Kroton. Circa 530-500 BC. Nomos (Silver, 27 mm, 8.20 g, 12 h), circa 515. ϘΡΟ Tripod with legs ending in lion’s feet and a bowl with three rings; below bowl, between legs, two spirals; between feet, two snakes; beaded border. Rev. Tripod with legs ending in lion’s feet and a bowl with three rings; rayed border; all incuse. HN III 2075. SNG ANS 239. A remarkable, sharp and lightly toned piece, very well-struck from fresh dies, rare thus. Virtually as struck.

Once with Moruzzi Numismatica and sold with an official Italian export license.

The quality of this coin is quite extraordinary: beautifully struck from fresh dies; extremely well preserved with no disfiguring marks and in solid, undamaged silver. Kroton must have issued millions and millions of these coins. Thus, whenever modern-officials talk about how rare and important ancient coins are as a class, they are actually talking about how rare many coins are today as compared to how common they were when they were made. They, of course, don't know this (but the heritage archaeologists who make such a fuss about the antiquity trade know this full well, which is why they never mention it!). In any case, among all the many nomoi/staters of Kroton minted c. 520/515, this piece's appearance is as fresh as the day it was made, unlike virtually all the other examples of this type I have ever seen. As such, this is astoundingly rare.