Nomos 30

CALABRIA. Tarentum. Circa 275-200 BC. Unit (Bronze, 16.3 mm, 2.27 g, 1 h). Scallop shell. Rev. Kithara with six strings; to left, olive branch. Classical Numismatic Group 79, 2008, 203 (there attributed to an uncertain northern Greek mint). HN III 1092. SNG Morcom 259. Vlasto 1850. Very rare. With a glossy and attractive dark green patina. Nearly extremely fine.

From the Dr. Paul Peter Urone Collection and from a European collection formed prior to 2005, Nomos 8, 22 October 2013, 11.

This coin seems to be missing from every major collection: its previous owners had hoped it was an unknown piece from Kerkyra! The rather poor CNG specimen was attributed to northern Greece, probably because some pieces of this type have come from there: this can be explained by the fact that Tarentine bronzes could well have traveled to Macedonia during the Roman wars against Philip V. In addition, the scallop shell was a favorite type at Tarentum, and was also used at Butuntum in Apulia and Graxa in Calabria.