Arethusa / Wheel of Four Spokes (Barbarous)
Syracuse (Sicily) - Hemiobol (⁵⁄₁₂ Litra)
Description
Obverse: Diademed head of Arethusa right; border of dots.
Reverse: Wheel of four spokes.
Hemiobol of a very crude style, but beautifully patineted with hints of blue iridescence. Extremely Fine. Rare variety. These barbarous-unofficial coins allude to those from the archaic period, but may well have been produced later.
Details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Composition | Silver |
| Issuer | Syracuse |
| Ruling Authority | Deinomenid Tyranny (485 BC - 466 BC) |
| Period of Issue | 485 BC - 466 BC |
| Weight | 0.25 g |
| Diameter | 9.54 mm |
| Orientation | ↑↑ 9h |
| Denomination | Hemiobol (⁵⁄₁₂ Litra) |
| Standard | Sicilian Litra |
| References | Boehringer #pl. 29, B 42 (this coin illustrated); Jameson #751 (this coin illustrated); SNG Ashmolean #1942 (same dies); Boehringer, AIIN 20 Suppl. #186, 9 (pl. XXIII, 9 (same dies)); SNG ANS 5 #116 (cf., obol prototype); HGC 2 #1371 (cf., obol prototype) |
Provenance
| Location | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | - | |
| France | 1913 | |
| Germany | Boehringer, E. Die Münzen von Syrakus. (Berlin/Leipzig, 1929) | 1929 |
| Switzerland | Frank Sternberg AG, Auction XXXI - Lot 736 | Oct 28, 1996 |
| Unknown | The Connoisseur's Collection | - |
| Switzerland | Apr 9, 2026 | |
| United States | Lelouch Collection | Current |