Mysia, Kyzikos. AR Trihemiobol, circa 480–450 BC.

Mysia, Kyzikos. AR Trihemiobol, circa 480–450 BC. Obv. Forepart of a boar springing left; behind, tunny fish left; the letter Ε on the boar’s neck. Rev. Head of a roaring lion facing left within incuse square. 13.5 mm, 0.91 g, 9 h. BMC 108; SNG France 5, 362; von Aulock 1213; HGC 6, 3846. Beautiful light grey tone, finely centred on both sides. Mint State. A particularly attractive small silver from Kyzikos in Mysia, struck in the early classical period when the city’s coinage was already renowned for its high artistic quality and lively animal types. The obverse shows the springing boar, a favourite local emblem, rendered with striking vitality. The small tunny fish behind the animal is the unmistakable civic badge of Kyzikos, alluding to the rich fisheries of the Propontis that formed a major pillar of the city’s wealth. The letter Ε placed on the boar’s neck serves as a control mark within the issue. The reverse features the open-mouthed lion’s head within an incuse square, a vigorous and archaic motif that echoes the powerful feline imagery popular across north-west Asia Minor in the sixth and fifth centuries BC. Well struck on a neat, compact flan, this specimen displays unusually fine centring and preservation for the type. The sharp rendering of the boar and the expressive lion’s head, combined with an appealing soft cabinet tone, make it an excellent example of the early silver of Kyzikos.