Nomos 25

SICILY. Syracuse. Dionysios I, 405-367 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 24.5 mm, 17.09 g, 3 h), circa 405-400. Charioteer, holding the reins with both hands and a kentron in his right, driving a quadriga rushing to left, about to turn, the head of the second horse from the left turned back to right and with a loose and dangling rein; above, Nike flying right to crown the driver; below the hind hooves of the near horse, a lost chariot wheel; in the exergue, grain ear to left (here barely visible). Rev. [ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙ-Ω-Ν] Head of Arethusa to left, wearing ampyx and sphendone with a zig-zag pattern lower border, a double-hook earring and a simple necklace with four pearls; in the field to left, two dolphins swimming downwards to right; behind Arethusa's head to right, two dolphins swimming downwards, the upper turned outwards and the lower inwards. AMB 471 (same dies). BMFA 415 (same dies). Buceti 499. Fischer-Bossert/Tudeer 69 (O 25/R 47). Gulbenkian 288 (same dies). Rare. With a powerful and noble, yet kindly 'portrait' of Arethusa. Very well-centered but struck on a tight flan. Some minor marks and traces of corrosion, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From the Sottoceneri Collection, formed prior to 2005.