Nomos 20

MYSIA. Kyzikos. Circa 500-450 BC. Stater (Electrum, 20 mm, 16.12 g). Forepart of a winged doe to left, with rounded wing; below, swimming downwards to left, tunny fish. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. BMFA 1434. Von Fritze 102. An attractive, clear and lightly toned example. About extremely fine.

Ex Roma XV, 5 April 2018, 227.

Interestingly enough, the animal on the obverse is usually termed a stag when this coin type is described – but why does it not have antlers? This is, presumably, a red deer, and the males of that species certainly do have antlers, which are shed every year in March-April, after which they begin growing again. Why would any ancient engraver choose to portray a stag without his horns? This simply must be a female deer, a doe or a hind; why it should appear here must be connected with a specific myth or legend of interest to the magistrate who picked the type. Why modern commentators insist on calling it a stag is beyond me (von Fritze says it is a stag with "short" antlers!).