Nomos 2

ARGOLIS, Argos. Circa 490s/480s-470s BC. Triobol (Silver, 3.08 g 12). Forepart of wolf at bay to left. Rev. Alpha, with bar sloping to the right and with two pellets, within a shallow incuse square with two deeper incuse squares in the upper part . BMC 8. BCD Peloponnesos 1008 (this coin). Traité I, 1204, pl. XXXVII, 21 (= de Luynes 2291, same dies). Very rare and attractively toned. Extremely fine.

From the BCD Collection, LHS 96, 8 May 2006, 1008 and ex Kovacs FPL 17, December 1982, 21 .

The early triobols of Argos were struck in relatively large numbers but were in use until the 3rd century BC; thus, they usually appear in miserable condition. Really good ones, like this example, are truly very rare, indeed. In over a generation of assiduous collecting BCD was able to view hundreds of triobols from this period, the majority of which were in no better than Fine condition (most were worse): extremely fine examples like this one virtually never appeared. This is one of the best pieces he possessed.