Nomos 21

LUCANIA. Velia. Circa 400-340 BC. Didrachm (Silver, 19 mm, 7.40 g, 11 h). Lion at bay to right, standing on a double ground line; above, retrograde Β. Rev. ΥΕΛ-Η ΤΩΝ Head of the nymph Hyele to right, wearing necklace and with her hair bound in a krobylos held by a plain band. HN III 1276. Weber 915 = Williams 215 h (this coin). Williams also cites this coin as having been published as "Ebner, pl. iii, 3", but does not bother to include Ebner in his bibliography (!); and while HN III does cite three articles by P. Ebner on Velia, since none of them are available to us we cannot say to which one this reference refers!!! Nicely toned and of dramatically attractive style. Some scratches and marks, otherwise, very fine.

From the John Everett Duke Collection, acquired from E. J. Waddell on 27 August 1982, previously owned by an unknown collector who acquired it from Charles Seltman in 1923; Seltman had bought it as lot 118 of Naville IV, 17 June 1922, which was from the collection of Sir H. Weber, who had acquired it in late 1903 via Osman Noury Bey, who had, in turn, bought it from the Maddalena Collection, A. Sambon and C. & E. Canessa, 7 May 1903, 438 and pl. III, 23.