MYSIA. Cyzicus. Ca. 500-450 BC. EL sixth-stater or hecte (12mm, 2.69 gm). NGC AU 5/5 - 2/5, scuff. Bearded male head (Poseidon, Perseus or Heracles?) left, wearing helmet in the form Ketos; tunny fish left below / Quadripartite mill-sail incuse square. Hurter & Liewald, SNR 81 (2002), p. 28, no. 17. SNG von Aulock 7291. Intriguing imagery on a bright, clear flan. The obverse head has been variously described as Poseidon, Perseus, Heracles or a nameless hero. Clearly struck specimens such as this one show the helmet to be of a nautical form, seemingly made from the head of a sea creature. Perseus famously turned the Kraken to stone, and one of Heracles's adventures involved the killing of a Ketos, or sea serpent. Poseidon is also sometimes shown in other artistic media wearing a similar finned helmet, and may be regarded as most likely to be represented on the coinage of a maritime city such as Cyzicus. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

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