Nomos 8

CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 275-200 BC. Unit (Bronze, 12mm, 2.26 g 2). Scallop shell Rev. Kithara with six strings; to left, olive branch. Classical Numismatic Group 79, 2008, 203 (there unidentified and 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 a European collection, formed before 2005.

This coin seems to be missing from every major collection: its last owners had misidentified it as an unknown piece from Kerkyra! As noted above, the rather poor CNG specimen was attributed to northern Greece, and it is likely that some pieces of this type have come from there, but 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. Nevertheless, the possibility that this piece was struck at some unknown northern Greek mint cannot be completely excluded.