Nomos 22

THRACE. Apollonia Pontika. Late 5th-4th centuries. Drachm (Silver, 12 mm, 3.42 g, 10 h). Anchor; in field to right, crayfish. Rev. Facing gorgoneion, with protruding tongue. SNG BM Black Sea 150-152. SNG Stancomb 34. Attractive, nicely toned and, most laudably, undoubtedly real. Nearly extremely fine.

From the John Everett Duke Collection, acquired from E. J. Waddell on 10 February 1984, and from the collections of Virgil Brand, Part 5, Sotheby's 1 February 1984, 78 (£ 420!), and that of Dr. B. K. in M., Hirsch XXXIII, 17 November 1913, 566 (bought by Brand as a mail bidder for RM 22).

The silver drachms of Apollonia have become remarkably common over the past generation, since fairly immense numbers of them have been exported from Bulgaria over that time. However, the major problem with them is the suspicion that large numbers of them are modern forgeries. This is one of the very few, rare even!, examples that we can be absolutely certain is genuine.