NEWP: Syracuse Tetradrachm (Second Democracy)

This past week was an especially satisfying coin week for me with three packages of goodies arriving. Most of the coins are still in my sorting box waiting to get fondled, photographed and catalogued (and maybe fondled a few more times for good measure), but I think I won't be minding taking my time with them .

This Syracusan tetradrachm is one of my favorites of the new arrivals. Many of these tetradrachms were struck on flans too compact for the dies and tended to lose parts of the design, particularly on the obverse with the charioteer, horses, flying Victory or any exergual symbols suffering the most. I was really pleased when I managed to get one with a large 28mm flan, almost complete devices, and from well-executed dies. Because of the wear, the coin has unfortunately lost all but a hint of the meander pattern on Arethusa's sakkos, but a better grade will have to wait for a bigger budget.

As always, share 'em if you got 'em!


SICILY, Syracuse
Second Democracy (466-405 BC)
AR Tetradrachm. 17.24g, 28.7mm. Struck circa 430 BC. Boehringer Series XX, 644 (V327/R443); HGC 2, 1319; SNG ANS 209. O: Charioteer driving slow quadriga right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses. R: ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ, Head of Arethusa right, wearing hooked-shaped earring and necklace, hair bound in sakkos ornamented with a meander pattern; four dolphins around.
Ex Colin E. Pitchfork Collection

NOTES: This variety of Syracusan tetradrachm was struck during the city's so-called Second Democracy, the 60 years between the tyrant dynasties of the Deinomenids and the Dionysii. Different issues of the period have Arethusa's hair done in a variety of styles - bunned, tied with a band, drawn up in a top knot, be-ribboned, and in a sakkos. This period also saw the first Syracusan tetradrachms with signed dies - Boehringer 697, 6 (V344/R475).

 

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What a great week for mail at your house!

Any early Syracusan coin is desirable and yours is no exception

I have only a little bronze coin from the Second Democracy, struck during the Peloponnesian war:


Sicily, Syracuse. Second Democracy
c. 425 BCE
Æ tetras, 13 mm, 1.9 gm
Obv: Female head right; XXX before
Rev: Hippocamp right, octopus below
Ref: CNS 30; SNG ANS 1382

 

Very nice OP tetradrachm, Zumbly! I've always liked the sakkos type.

My two Syracuse tetradrachms of the Second Democracy:



Struck c 460-450 BC, Boehringer Series XIVb, 499 (V263/R356); SNG ANS 158; BMC 80; Jameson 762 (all from the same dies); Dewing 794; HGC 2 ---.



Struck c 413-405 BC, Obverse die signed by Eumenes, reverse die signed by Eu– (Eumenes or Eukleidas), Tudeer 27 (dies 10/18); SNG ANS 260; SNG Lockett 962; Hunterian 42; de Luynes 1174; Rizzo pl. XLII, 14; Ward 277 (all from the same dies), Dewing 842; HGC 2, 1328.

 

Fantastic coin Z with a lovely obverse.

 

Any Syracusan tetradrachm is welcome, especially if they have a nice Arethusa on them .

 

Thanks! Yours are amazing. A decent one with a Ketos is high on my list but has thus far proved elusive.

 

Thanks for the invitation


SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles (317-289 BCE)
struck 310-305 BCE
AR tetradrachm, 17.40 g, 24 mm
Obv: head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing grain wreath, earring and necklace; around, three dolphins; under, monogram (NK?)
Rev: ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, fast chariot charioteer leads to left, holding reins and kentron; above, triskeles; in exergue, monogram
Ref: Ierardi 12 (O2-R8); SNG Copenhagen 573 var., SNG ANS 637
The story of its acquisition is here.

 

Ahhhh... too gorgeous!

To Anyone who hasn't read TIF's acquisition story linked above - you really should! It's an enjoyable telling of a riveting numismatic escapade .

 

Nice catch @zumbly ! Patroness of Syracuse is a nice capture. I really have not seen these before, so thanks for the sharing! Cool

Regrets, I have NO Tets from Syracuse, even though I have about 10 AE's from there. NO, I will NOT trade a Marsic Confederation to get into the Syracuse Tet game... I will just have to let my March Hare loose sometime and snare one.

 

You know, I still love reading that story. I have had similar situations in other key events in my life (and I am sure EVERYONE shares the same thoughts.) But to actually lay them out into the timeline you have, makes for a wonderful, but gut-wrenching experience that I would think EVERYONE has experienced. Again, even as it was then, I am sure that thrill of VICTORY is still so sweet. Gorgeous coin captured by a gorgeous soul. Congrats!

 

Congrats @zumbly on the addition, and wow, the coins presented here are all beautiful.

 

TIF's is a hard act to follow so I'll take the pressure off the rest of you by showing a coin most would not want but that I like a lot because of its little problem.
Boehringer 703 (V345/R481) shows the die break that destroyed reverse 481. It is possible to get a coin of this die with much less damage than we see behind the head of Arathusa here. Wildwinds has a coin of these dies with even more damage so mine is decidedly second rate.


I believe the striker was well aware of the problem with the die and intentionally tilted the upper die to put less strain on the broken edge. This resulted in a better than average strike on the face and legend but really weakened the obverse on the horses side. Arathusa's hair is flat struck as is the top of the cud where the die was broken. I bought this coin because of the break. When it was struck, I suspect an engraver was busy cutting reverse 482 but the mint did not want to stop production just because the only reverse die they had was falling apart. I wonder what the last coin made from the die looked like.

I know it is not what zumbly called for but my .005g AR hexas (1/6 litra or 1/120 tetradrachm which I really believe the Syracusans considered a 20 litra piece) has Arathusa not so cute due to exfoliation.


and a cute faced hemilitron (1/40 tetradrachm)

 

Nice coins! Here is my first CNG purchase (and first coin posting on the board).
Had some friends hike up to Arethusa Falls (in New Hampshire) a few weeks back, which prompted an unsolicited discussion of the sea nymph. This flan is very much compact, nice to see more details in your example.


SICILY, Syracuse. Second Democracy. 466-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (22.5mm, 17.43 g, 7h). Struck circa 430 BC. Charioteer driving quadriga right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses / Diademed head of Arethousa right, hair in sakkos; four dolphins around. Boehringer Series XX, 643 (V326/R443); HGC 2, 1319.

From the Colin E. Pitchfork Collection, purchased from Freeman & Sear, 4 December 2003.

 

Great thread with very nice coins !
Not from Syracuse , but from another part of Sicily , town of Entella.

 

WOW, nice coin to be FIRSTs for you! Welcome to the Ancients Forum of CoinTalk. Me: I am no expert, just a casual bystander enjoying the Threads and capturing ancient coins. Yours is a great coin!

 

@zumbly Nice coin, I like the details. There is certainly a lot going on the coin.

 

Thank you! I grew up around enough Sicilians, thought I would grab one of those beautiful coins.

 

Love Sicilian Tetradrachms. Don't know much about them, but have one from my earlier collection days that remains a keeper.

Tetradrachm circa 475-450 BC, AR 17.36g, 24mm. Slow quadriga driven r. by charioteer holding reins and kentron; in field above, Nike flying l. to crown him. In exergue, pistrix. Rev. SURAKO - SI - ON Pearl-diademed head of Arethusa r., wearing earring and necklace. Around, four dolphins swimming clockwise. Boehringer 436 (V233/R312), same dies.

 

Dang, dang, Dang - me needs one of these. @Carthago Dang!!!

 

Uhm, yeah that's a keeper! Wowza!!