Important Ancient Coins

Northern Greece, The Orrescii (?), Stater, c. 500-480, centaur abducting nymph right, rev. four-part incuse square, 9.01g (Svoronos pl.5, 17-21; SNG ANS 978-9; 18 Asyut 84-9). Harshly cleaned, otherwise very fine and rare (£500-600)

The centaur is called by Homer ‘Orescoos’, the mountain dweller (Iliad I, 268) and probably the the reason for choice of type by an otherwise unknown tribe of the area north-east of Mount Pagaion