Ancient Coins

Thasos, Thasos, ‘Thasos’, Stater, c. 435-411, satyr with human feet kneeling-running right, abducting nymph who stretches arms in surprise, a in right field, rev. four-part incuse square, 8.63g (Le Rider, Guide de Thasos, 6; Kraay-Hirmer 437; Gulbenkian 464; ACGC 521). Superb extremely fine, of the finest mature classical style (£4,000-5,000)

Illustrated on the back cover. The capture in 463 of Thasos by the Athenians after its revolt two years earlier could well have been the reason for the termination of the prolific series of late archaic and early classical staters. Between 435 and 411 the old satyr and nymph theme was revived, but the artistic style was very different. The forcible rape of the nymph by a bestial satyr has become a joy-ride of a not unwilling lady in the arms of an almost human abductor. This is an admirable die-engraving masterpiece at the apogee of the Greek high classical artistic period, when Polykleitos of Argos was said to have been unsurpassed in making images of men, as Phidias was of gods