GREEK. SICILY, Syracuse. Second Democracy, circa 420-415 BC. Silver Tetradrachm (17.35g). Charioteer driving quadriga walking right, holding goad in his right hand and reins in his left; above, Nike flying right to crown the horses; in exergue, locust right / SYRAKOSION, head of Arethusa right, wearing sphendone and hairnet; around, four dolphins. Cf. Boehringer 727-8 (V360/R495; die combination not recorded); Rizzo pl. XL, 17; McClean 2682, pl. 94, 3; Jameson 781; Pozzi 590 (all from the same reverse die). A rare die combination not recorded by Boehringer. gVF. A lovely example of confident and attractive style. One of the finest known, if not the finest. This Syracuse coin comes from the city's golden age in the 5th century BC, when it was the dominant power in Sicily. The imagery is proudly Syracusan: the head of the nymph Arethusa, framed by dolphins that point to the city's sea power and the sacred spring at Ortygia, paired with the racing quadriga and victory symbols that celebrate elite competition and civic triumph. Coins like this were not just money; they were Syracuse showing the Mediterranean what it was: wealthy, confident, and artistically unmatched. For the same type see; Leu Web Auction 20, lot 334, hammered US$2,500. (P)

Estimate: AUD 5000