Nomos 24

CILICIA. Nagidos. Circa 420-385 BC. Stater (Silver, 22 mm, 10.75 g, 6 h). Aphrodite, draped to the waist, seated to left, on a throne with a broad top rail that ends in a palmette at each side, holding a phiale in her right hand, with a bracelet around her right and left forearms, and resting her left hand in her lap; behind her to right, Eros standing facing, his head turned to left, clasping Aphrodites left arm with his right hand and holding a wreath in his lowered left; in the lower right field, behind Eros, ΣΙ (retrograde). Rev. ΝΑΓΙΔΕΩΝ Dionysos, bearded and nude but for drapery over his shoulders, standing facing, his head to left, holding a kantharos in his right hand and a thyrsos with his left; above the kantharos to left, grapevine; in the lower right field, monogram. Cf. Casabonne Nagidos 1 and pl. IV, 1 = SNG Levante 1 = SNG Paris 1. Cf. Lederer, Nagidos, Group I, 1-4 (but our coin is struck with a stiffer and clearly earlier obverse die, while its reverse die is very close in style, almost certainly by the same die cutter who engraved the reverse die for Lederer 3). Triton XXV, 2022, 292 (same dies). Very rare - the early staters of Nagidos are much rarer than those of mid 4th century. Attractive and clear, with an impressive figure of Dionysos. Minor test cut on the reverse and with slightly rough surfaces, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From the Paulaner Collection, Bavaria, c. 1960-1990s.