Persia. Achaemenid Empire, Time of Artaxerxes I to Artaxerxes II AR Siglos. Circa 450-375 BC. Sardes or subsidiary mint. Type IIIb (late). Lydo-Milesian standard.

Male head to right, wearing laureate and crested Attic helmet / AN-TI, bull butting to right. Cf. SC 354 (Apollo; perhaps Antioch on the Orontes); Roma Numismatics, e-Sale 112, 529 (hammer: 850 GBP); otherwise unpublished. 1.66gr, 12mm, 1h.

Near Very Fine. Exceedingly Rare; the third known example and of considerable numismatic importance.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

The closest example to our coin is this of SC 354 (=SNG Spaer 216). Although the obverse is described as Apollo, it is nevertheless very worn. Upon closer examination one could see that the two coins share the same type. According to SC 354 note 'The Kritt specimen shows an apparent helmet crest behind Apollo's head, perhaps evidence for overstriking on an earlier variety featuring Athena'. SC's suggestion of Antioch as a possible mint is repeated from SNG Spaer. The reverse is similar to those from Seleukeia ad Tigrim but the fabric is quite different (cf. Brian Kritt, From Aï Khanoum to Samarqand. Seleucid Coins in Central Asia, pl. 8). Our coin is more reminiscent of western mints, but the identification of a specific mint is still impracticable. The most interesting feature, however, is the mysterious face depicted on the obverse, whose parallel example cannot be found in the references.

Diademed male head to right / ΦIΛIΠΠOV, youth on horseback to right; spearhead below. SNG ANS 850-1; SNG Alpha Bank 354-8. 8.18gr, 20mm, 9h.

Very Fine.

Acquired on the UK art market. From the collection of Mr Carlos Bahamonde, Manchester, UK.

Comprising: mixed rulers, denominations and reverse types. 115.65gr total, 16-20mm.

As shown.

Acquired on the UK art market. From the collection of Mr Carlos Bahamonde, Manchester, UK.