Arethusa / Wheel of Four Spokes
Syracuse (Sicily) - Hemilitron (½ Litra)
Description
Obverse: Head of Arethusa to right, with her hair tied up in a knot, wearing circular earring
Reverse: Wheel with two pellets in the second and third quarters and with one in the first and fourth.
A very simple hairstyle on this Arethusa. One may notice how on the smaller fractions, she is wearing less elaborate jewelry and headgear then compared to the larger coins. It seems that die-engravers chose to intentionally depict Arethusa in the clothes of the people who would use that specific coin.
Details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Composition | Silver |
| Issuer | Syracuse |
| Ruling Authority | Second Democracy (465 BC - 405 BC) |
| Period of Issue | 440 BC - 430 BC |
| Weight | 0.48 g |
| Diameter | 10 mm |
| Orientation | ↑↑ 12h |
| Denomination | 1 Hemilitron |
| Standard | Sicilian Litra |
| References | Boehringer #608-611; HGC 2 #1384 |
Provenance
| Location | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Senatus Consulto, Vcoins - SKU: 12001276 | Jul 5, 2025 |
| United States | Lelouch Collection | Current |