Sicily. Panormos (as Ziz). Siculo-Punic Coinage, circa 405-380 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 27.36 mm, 17.31 g). 'SYS' (in Punic) Charioteer driving quadriga galloping left on dotted exergue line, holding kentron and reins; above, Nike flying right, crowning him; in exergue, clam shell. Rev. Female head of nymph right, with her hair bound with a broad band, wearing a simple necklace with a single pendant; around, four dolphins; from under neck, the head of the fifth dolphin appears; all within shallow circular incuse. Jenkins, SNR 50 (1971), pl. 8, 20 (O4’/R18, this coin illustrated). Viola CNP 347c (same dies). Museum of Fine Art Boston 323 (same dies). Ward “Greek Coins and Their Parent Cities” London 1902, pl. IX, 364 (this coin illustrated). Buceti 29 (this coin illustrated). BMC Sicily 247, 6 (same obverse die). SNG Lloyd 1580 (same obverse die). HGC 2, 1004 (same obverse die). Beautiful reverse portrait of the nymph. Attractive old cabinet tone struck on a irregular flan. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Ex Triton VII, 13 January 2004, lot 73; Sotheby’s (Zurich) Part II, 4-5 April 1973, lot 295.

Ex Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: “Greek Coins from the John Ward Collection”. This head also shows Syracusan influence. Its model is the tetradrachms of Eumenes (see Franke-Hirmer 98, plate 32).