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Greek coins, Pandosia, Drachm

Currency:CHF Category:Coins & Paper Money / Coins: Ancient Start Price:6,000.00 CHF Estimated At:7,500.00 - 9,375.00 CHF
Greek coins, Pandosia, Drachm
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Greek coins, Pandosia, Drachm ca. 340-330, AR 2.05 g. Head of Hera Lacinia facing slightly to r., wearing stephane and necklace. Rev. [PAN]DOSIN Naked Pan seated l. on rock, spear behind l. arm; at his feet, dog running to l. Jameson 540 (this coin). AMB 217 (this coin). Evans, NC 1912 pl. 3, 7 (these dies). Historia Numorum 2451 (these dies). Of the highest rarity, only very few specimens known. Toned and about very fine / fine Ex Sambon-Canessa 1903, Maddalena, 581; NAC 13, 1998, 217 and NAC 27, 2004, 58 sales. From Evans, Jameson and A.D.M. collections. Pandosia, an Achean colony was situated slightly above Cosentia (Stabo VI 1,5), on the river Kratis (Crati). Strabo also tells us that Pandosia was once the royal residence of the kings of Enotria. Apart from general information and the death of Alexander the Molossos, who was tricked by two oracles (Strabo Loc. C), we know very little of the history of this city, and only through numismatics can we retrace an alliance with the city of Croton. On the obverse of this drachm is the head of Hera, queen of Olympus and Zeus’ bride, depicted in nearly full-face portrait. The reverse is very interesting and shows Pan on a rock with an untethered dog at his feet running to 1. It is not surprising to find a dog beside the god of shepherds and sheep, whose cult spread far beyond the Hellenic world. Pan particularly loved fresh springs and the shade of the woods: in fact, he was usually portrayed with a shepherd’s crook, pan pipes, pine crown or a pine branch in his hand.