Arethusa / Wheel of Four Spokes

Syracuse (Sicily) - Hemilitron (½ Litra)
Head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing a simple necklace with her hair tied up in bun at the top of her head; behind and above, six pellets (mark of value?) or part of border of dots.
Four-spoked wheel with two pellets in first and second quarters and one in the third and fourth (mark of value); all within shallow incuse circle.

Description

Obverse: Head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing a simple necklace with her hair tied up in bun at the top of her head; behind and above, six pellets (mark of value?) or part of border of dots.
Reverse: Four-spoked wheel with two pellets in first and second quarters and one in the third and fourth (mark of value); all within shallow incuse circle.

Light iridescent toning. Well centred and with a wonderful head of Arethusa, engraved by a master in refined Classic style. Thin die break on reverse. Good Extremely Fine/Very Fine. An apparently unpublished type in the standard references.

Details

CompositionSilver
IssuerSyracuse
Ruling AuthoritySecond Democracy (466 BC - 405 BC)
Period of Issue430 BC - 425 BC
Weight0.4 g
Diameter10.37 mm
Orientation
↑↑
10h
DenominationHemilitron (½ Litra)
StandardSicilian Litra
ReferencesBoehringer #612 (cfr., for obv. only (V303); unlisted reverse die); HGC 2 #1385 (same obverse die); Buceti #308 (var.); Rizzo #pl. XXXVIII, 11-12 (cf. (head right and different pellet positions))
Not InCammarata, Manganaro

Provenance

LocationDescriptionDate
San Marino
Nomisma S.p.A., Auction 21 - Lot 35
Apr 10, 2002
Austria
Astarte, Auction 26 - Lot 126
Apr 9, 2026
United States
Lelouch Collection
Current