Arethusa / Wheel of Four Spokes
Syracuse (Sicily) - Hemilitron (½ Litra)
Description
Obverse: Head of Arethusa left, wearing ampyx and sphendone
Reverse: Wheel of four spokes; ΣY-PA in the upper quarters and a pair of opposed dolphins in the lower.
One of 7 known. Listed in Kreutzer's Syrakusische Drachmen und Kleinsilbermünzen as Hemilitren 1.β.6. Kreutzer Kleinsilbermünzen lists a sale in 2011 from Lanz, but I reached out to Gorny & Mosch and according to them that was a typo and it should have be 2010. This along with the octopus litra acquired in this auction were all acquired by the same consignor who had them listed in Kreutzer's book.
Details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Composition | Silver |
| Issuer | Syracuse |
| Ruling Authority | Second Democracy (466 BC - 405 BC) |
| Period of Issue | 415 BC - 405 BC |
| Weight | 0.35 g |
| Diameter | 10 mm |
| Orientation | ↑↑ 12h |
| Denomination | 1 Hemilitron |
| Standard | Sicilian Litra |
| References | Kreutzer Kleinsilbermünzen #Hemilitren 1.β (1.β.6, this coin) |
Provenance
| Location | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Purchased from Numismatik Lanz München | 2010 |
| Germany | Unknown G&M 310 Consignor (fellow Syracusan fractional fan) | - |
| Germany | Gorny & Mosch, Auction 310 - Lot 81 | Mar 2, 2025 |
| United States | Lelouch Collection | Current |