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V. Albert
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Greece, Syracuse Decadrachm unsigned work by Euainetos circa 400 BC;
Greece, Syracuse Decadrachm unsigned work by Euainetos circa 400 BC;

Greece, Syracuse
Decadrachm unsigned work by Euainetos circa 400, AR 43.04 g. Fast quadriga driven l. by charioteer, holding reins and kentron; in field above, Nike flying r. to crown him. In exergue, display of military harness set on two steps and below l., [ΑΘΛΑ]. Rev. ΣΥ—ΡΑ—Κ—Ο—ΣΙΩΝ Head of Arethusa (Kore-Persephone) l., wearing barley-wreath, triple pendant earring and beaded necklace; behind neck, scallop shell. Around three dolphins, while a fourth makes dorsal contact with neck truncation. Rizzo pl. LIV, 3 (these dies). de Luynes 1247 (these dies). Dewing 916. SNG Lockett 991 (this coin). Gallatin R.XV – F. VIII (this coin listed).

Coins of the artist Euainetos are among the most exquisite works of art from the ancient Greek world. Of special value are his decadrachms, which must have been distributed widely, for they were influential to artists in regions far removed from the shores of Sicily. It is unlikely that many were exported through the normal channels of commerce, and we might suggest that, much like the staters of Olympia, some were acquired as keepsakes and were carried to a variety of destinations. The decadrachms of Kimon and Euainetos were introduced early in the reign of the tyrant Dionysius I (405-367 B.C.), and those of Euainetos continued to be struck for decades, perhaps even beyond the 360s. We might presume that Dionysus took a personal interest in producing such large coins of fine style to evince his patronage of the arts and to promote the success of his rule. There is also good reason to believe that after Euainetos' initial contributions, die cutting for the series was eventually carried out by understudies and successors. In some cases Euainetos' signature appears to have been retained as a fixed element of the design until about midway through, when it was lost altogether. In general, these understudies meticulously copied the work of the master engraver. Gallatin notes that the entire series "...shows a most amazing repetition of the details of the arrangement of the hair, locks and curls being slavishly repeated". Though a precise context has not been convincingly established for the Syracusan decadrachms of Kimon and Euainetos, it is tempting to associate their introduction with a military victory. The display of armour and weaponry that appears in the exergue is militant, and the inscription AΘΛA, which indicates 'prizes,' or at least 'agonistic contests,' only adds to that prospect. Since it was a common practice of Greek soldiers to engrave dedicatory inscriptions on captured armour, a connection might be drawn between that phenomenon and what is presented on the decadrachms. The obverse also appears to allude to victory with its vivid scene of a charioteer guiding his team through a bend. The dies used to strike this particular decadrachm almost certainly were the work of Euainetos himself, for they are each the third in the series.

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Taken on: August 28, 2019
Sets appears in:   • Ancient coins   
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