GREEK. Knidos. 465-449 BC. Silver Drachm (6.38g). Forepart of lion right, with open mouth / Head of Aphrodite right, wearing ear pendant and necklace, pearl diadem in the hair, which ends in a plait at the back; incuse square. Cahn 49, 77.32 (this specimen); SNG Cop. 238 (same dies); Traite I, pl. XVIII, 15 (same dies). Wonderful old cabinet toning. EF for the type and undoubtedly one of the finest known examples. This drachm, struck at Knidos in Caria circa 465-449 BC, belongs to a period when the city was emerging as a vibrant centre of culture, commerce, and artistic innovation. Positioned on the Carian coast, Knidos controlled important sea routes linking the Aegean with the eastern Mediterranean, and its growing prosperity is reflected in the refinement of its silver coinage. Issues of this era, often bearing the lion and the head of Aphrodite, express both local civic pride and a sense of divine protection, encapsulating Knidos' identity as a confident, independent polis contributing to the classical Greek legacy in art and civic life. For the type and most recent sold example see; Hess Divo, Auction 343, lot 136, hammered US$9,750. (P)

Estimate: AUD 7500