Nomos 38

LUCANIA. Metapontion. Circa 280-279 BC. 1/3 Stater (Gold, 13 mm, 2.88 g, 12 h), Pyrrhic War issue. ΛΕΥΚΙΠΠ[ΟΣ] Bearded head of Leukippos to right, wearing a crested Corinthian helmet adorned, on the bowl, with Skylla hurling a stone to right. Rev. Μ-Ε Two six-grained barley ears, each with a curly leaf on their outer side; between them, ΣΙ. Johnston G 5.1 (same dies). HN III 1630. SNG ANS 397 (same obverse die). SNG Lockett 404 (same reverse die). Rare and one of the best examples known. Struck from beautifully engraved dies, with a particularly fine 'portrait' of Leukippos. Obverse very slightly double-struck with minor amounts of die rust, otherwise, good extremely fine.

From an old French collection, and from the collection of Marchese R. Venturi-Ginori, Santamaria, 24 January 1938, 52, and apparently from the Bernalda Hoard of 1935 (IGCH 1958).

When a Greek polis struck coins of gold, war was usually not far away. This artistically impressive 1/3 stater, with the mythical oikist Leukippos on the obverse and barley ears, the emblem of Metapontum, on the reverse, is no exception. In 280/279 BC King Pyrrhus was at the pinnacle of power in Italy, taking his army as far north as Praeneste (today’s Palestrina), and from its hilltop location Rome is visible with the naked eye on a clear day. The future of the Greek cities of Southern Italy looked bright indeed. A few more months of footing the bill for the military expedition – hence the need for high-value coinage – and all would be well. Who could have guessed that within less than two years’ time Metapontum would have to surrender to the forces of Rome?