Nomos 26

CARIA. Keramos. Circa 167-129 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 11 mm, 1.22 g, 12 h), struck under the magistrate Polites. Head of Apollo to right, with his hair flowing down the back of his neck. Rev. ΚΕΡΑ / ΠΟΛΙ Bull's head facing; all within incuse square. HN Online 295 (temp, this coin) = Jameson 2298 = SNG von Aulock 2579 (this coin). M. Spanu, Keramos di Caria: storia e monumenti (Rome, 1997), 1. Apparently unique. Nicely toned. Good very fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, ex Peus 392, 4 May 2007, 4352 and 386, 26 April 2006, 230, ex Lanz 125, 26 November, 2005, 384 and 121, 22 November 2004, 207, ex Peus 308, 19 October 1983, 163, Birkler & Waddell 2, 11 December 1980, 175, from the collection of R. Jameson, Monnaies et Médailles 53, 29 November 1977, 109, ex Naville V, 18 June 1923, 2611, which was sold to Feuardent bidding for Jameson at CHF 280. This was an astonishing 20 CHF MORE expensive than lot 2599, a Samian tetradrachm, which was a duplicate from the British Museum, BMC 88, previously in the Borrell and Northwick collections, and now in that of C. Gulbenkian - 748 = Barron p. 191, 83b.

This coin simply must have the longest pedigree of all the coins in this auction (including the many whose pedigrees are unknown). The reason must be that its first known owner, Robert Jameson, was a great connoisseur of intriguing coins, as was its late owner, but it was simply too esoteric for everyone else!!