Sicily, Messana. AR Tetradrachm

Sicily, Messana. AR Tetradrachm, circa 412–408 BC. Obv. Biga of mules driven left by the nymph Messana; above, Nike flying right to crown her; in exergue, two dolphins confronting. Rev. ΜΕΣΣΑΝΙΟΝ, hare running left; below, head of Pan right. 17.24 g. McClean 2396 (these dies); Jameson 655 (these dies); SNG Lloyd 1100 (these dies); Caltabiano 611.28. Old cabinet tone.

Ex Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser 9 (1992), lot 22. A classic and highly elegant issue of Messana, struck during the final decades of the city’s independence before the Carthaginian incursions of the late fifth century BC. The obverse presents the celebrated biga of mules, a civic type recalling the Olympic victory of the tyrant Anaxilas of Rhegion, whose triumph in the mule-cart race became the enduring emblem of Messana after his refoundation of the city. The nymph Messana guides the team with poise, while Nike descends to crown her, expressing divine approval of both the athletic and civic achievements embodied in the design. The pair of dolphins in the exergue allude to the straits and maritime life of the region. The reverse features a finely rendered hare, another badge introduced by Anaxilas and emblematic of the abundance of hares in the rugged terrain of the region. The small head of Pan beneath adds a rustic note, linking the imagery to the wild landscape surrounding the city. The style of both obverse and reverse is characteristic of Messana’s most accomplished engravers, with lively movement, delicate modelling, and balanced composition. A well-centred and attractively toned specimen from the same dies as several notable collections, illustrating one of the most distinctive and historically evocative coin types of classical Sicily.