Sicily, Syracuse. Hieron II. Bronze

Sicily, Syracuse. Hieron II. Bronze, circa 275–216 BC. Æ 27 mm, 17.36 g. Obv. Diademed head of Hieron II left. Rev. [ΙΕ]ΡΩΝΟ[Σ], horseman galloping right, holding spear; A in right field. SNG ANS 915; SNG Morcom 822; Calciati 195. Light brown patina, about extremely fine. Ex Ars Classica XVI, 1933, 889; NAC L, 2001, 1258; Spink 11008, 2011, 744.

A handsome bronze of Hieron II, whose long reign brought unusual stability and prosperity to Syracuse in the troubled years of the Pyrrhic and Punic Wars. The diademed portrait presents the king with a calm, authoritative bearing, reflecting the mature Hellenistic convention of ruler imagery adopted by the Sicilian monarchs. On the reverse, the armed horseman evokes both the strong cavalry tradition of the island and the military responsibilities that underpinned Hieron’s carefully balanced diplomacy between Rome and Carthage. The well preserved detail and attractive patina, combined with a distinguished pedigree reaching back to Ars Classica XVI (1933), make this an especially appealing example of his large bronze series.