Nomos 29

WESTERN GREECE AND THE IONIAN ISLANDS, Uncertain, Akarnania. Stratos (?). Circa 450-425 BC. Trihemiobol (Silver, 9 mm, 1.00 g, 9 h). A hydria, a vessel for water, especially at symposia, in the shape termed a kalpis, with its handle to left. Rev. A tall-handled kantharos or drinking cup. Hunterian II, p. 422, 1 and pl. LIV, 7 (same obverse die). Cf. Nomos 26, CsP, 297 (but with the kalpis handle to right. Extremely rare. Boldly struck and nicely toned. Minor marks, otherwise, good very fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, ex Münzen und Medaillen FPL 451, January 1983, 31 (but as Astyra in Caria).

Save for the fact that the kalpis on the obverse of this coin has its handle on the left, it is remarkably similar to the trihemiobol that appeared as lot 297 of Nomos 26: we tentatively identified that piece as coming from Stratos, based on some suggestions from BCD (it is a well known fact that people who ignore suggestions from BCD often have bad luck). This piece is also very close to a coin in the Hunterian that was identified as possibly coming from Astyra in Caria (on the basis of an Α supposedly visible on its reverse; but on the catalogue plate it looks like a die break); but, in fact, it certainly does not look Carian, so assigning it to Akarnania seems to be at least reasonable!