Lot 13: Eastern Europe, Imitating Parion. 5th-3rd centuries B.C. AR drachm.

Eastern Europe, Imitating Parion. 5th-3rd centuries B.C. AR drachm (13 mm, 1.91 g). Facing gorgoneion / Incuse square punch with central pellet and linear pattern. Cf. SNG BN 1343-52 for prototype; OTA -; CCCBM -. Toned. Very fine.

While unpublished in the standard references on Celtic coinages, these drachms (or perhaps hemidrachms - note the low weight of this specimen and of others) copying Parion's earliest type were seemingly struck by Celtic peoples who had settled in Asia Minor and repeatedly did so over the coming centuries. Unlike the originals, the style of these imitations is sometimes quite good, where the originals tend to be uniformly dumpy and the reverses indistinct. Here the gorgoneion is quite charming, her facial features engraved in a simplistic, linear manner. The reverse design is precisely cut, with bold even lines around a central pellet.

• Offered By: Barry P. Murphy
• Lot #: 13
• Listing #: 237223
• Closed: Friday, September 16, 2016 5:04:00 PM CT
• Estimate: $100