Catana

Tetradrachm signed by Herakleidas circa 405-402, AR 24 mm, 16.43 g. Laureate head of Apollo, facing three-quarters l., his hair falling in loose curls around his face; in field r., [ΗΡ]ΑΚΛ[ΕΙΔΑΣ]. Rev. Fast quadriga driven l. by charioteer holding reins with both hands; in field above, Nike flying r., holding taenia and wreath to crown the charioteer. In exergue, [KATA]NAIΩΝ / [fish l.] Kraay-Hirmer pl. 15, 43 (these dies). Rizzo pl. XIV, 10 and XVI, 2 (these dies). Gulbenkian 190 (these dies). C.C. 62 (these dies). Holloway, Art and Coinage in Magna Graecia, p. 112 (these dies). AMB 337 (these die).
Very rare. A magnificent portrait of masterly style, work of a very talented master engraver,
perfectly centred and struck in high relief on a narrow flan. Minor porosity and traces
of overstriking on reverse, otherwise extremely fine / about extremely fine

Ex Christie’s 2nd May 1989, 627 (illustrated on the front cover); Ira & Larry Goldberg 72, 2013, Hunter, 4013 and Oslo Myntgalleri 14, 2018, 844 sales. From a Scandinavian private collection.
The present tetradrachm was struck in the period of conflict between Katane and Dionysios I of Syracuse. It is a little ironic that this coinage, struck to finance the defence of the city against the Syracusan tyrant, should be so strongly influenced by the contemporary coinage of Syracuse. The racing quadriga type is closely modelled on the Syracusan chariot type of the engraver Kimon while the wonderful facing head of Apollo is a local adaptation of the facing head of Arethusa also engraved by Kimon for tetradrachms of Syracuse under Dionysios I. Also like at contemporary Syracuse, the obverse die used to strike this Katanaian tetradrachm has been signed by its engraver-Herakleidas-although his signature is off-flan here. Despite serious political opposition from cities like Katane, this coin illustrates the ultimate inability of the Sicilian enemies of Syracuse to resist its cultural and economic influence.