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Nomos 37

Zurich, 16 November 2025, 14:00 CET

Zunfthaus zur Saffran, Limmatquai 54, 8001 Zurich

overview
Estimate: 750 CHF
Hammer Price:  1900 CHF
Lot 19

GAUL. Massalia or an uncertain mint in the Provence. Circa 525/0-480/70 BC. Obol (Silver, 10 mm, 0.79 g). Head of Athena wearing Corinthian helmet to left. Rev. Irregular incuse square. F/Py OBB-2. Furtwangler, Monnaies de Provence, Type A, 5, pl. 41, 5. Maurel 100-101. Very rare, nicely centered, well-struck and attractively toned. Minor roughness and some minor deposits, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.

From the Apollo to Apollo Collection, acquired on 15 September 2014 in Nice.

This coin is featured in, H. B. Andersen, Masters of Miniature Art, A window to the birth of western culture and art, Nice, 2022

At least one erudite numismatist has suggested, perhaps due to some surface roughness, that the head on the obverse is not Athena's but, rather, of a male deity. However, French scholars have, seemingly uniformly, firmly rejected this theory, seeing it, in fact, as an unforgiveably unpardonable slur on French Womanhood ("Zut alors!, Une femme avec une barbe!!! Sacré bleu!!" is one of the most moderate of their comments).

Online bidding closes: 16 Nov 2025, 09:00:00 CET Current Date & Time: 28 Feb 2026, 23:20:48 CET Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:1900 CHF
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