Arethusa / Octopus

Syracuse (Sicily) - Litra
Head of Arethusa left, wearing triple-pendant earring, necklace, ampyx and sphendone; in right field, barley grain.
Octopus

Description

Obverse: Head of Arethusa left, wearing triple-pendant earring, necklace, ampyx and sphendone; in right field, barley grain.
Reverse: Octopus

One of 4 known. Listed in Kreutzer's Syrakusische Drachmen und Kleinsilbermünzen as Litra 6.1. This die is unsigned but often attributed to Eukleidas. No known samples have the EV on the ampyx, but it doesn't eliminate the possibility the dies were engraved by Eukleidas and the signature wore off in the centuries after. This litra is additionally distinguished by it's triple-pendant earring, one of the first uses of the oft replicated earring from Syracuse.

Details

CompositionSilver
IssuerSyracuse
Ruling AuthorityDionysios I (405 BC - 367 BC)
Period of Issue405 BC - 400 BC
Weight0.87 g
Diameter11 mm
Orientation
↑↑
11h
DenominationLitra
StandardSicilian Litra
ReferencesKreutzer Kleinsilbermünzen #Litra 6 (6.1, this coin)

Numista Reference

Provenance

LocationDescriptionDate
Germany
Art Coins Roma (now Bertolami Fine Arts), Auction 12 - Lot 195
Oct 30, 2014
Germany
Unknown G&M 310 Consignor (fellow Syracusan fractional fan)
-
Germany
Gorny & Mosch, Auction 310 - Lot 75
Mar 3, 2025
United States
Lelouch Collection
Current