Indice Dietro Avanti
Tetradrammo di Camarina
1.12.2011
Gentile Sig. De Florio, le chiedo un parere ed ogni informazione Lei fosse in grado di reperire su questa moneta in mio possesso:
peso della moneta: 17 grammi
Diametro max 24mm
colore argento
asse di conio ore 12
tipologia lega metallica: forse argento
Presenza materiale ferromagnetico: Non attratta
autorizzo l'uso incondizionato delle foto inviate
fig. 1
Cliccare sulle immagini per ingrandire
Roma, 8.12.2011
Egregio Lettore,
premetto che non mi occupo solitamente di monetazione greca. Ciò nondimeno, nell'intento di assecondare comunque la sua richiesta, senza pretesa di rigore scientifico, ho raccolto, attraverso una ricerca nel web, alcuni elementi che di seguito sottopongo alla sua attenzione:

Tetradrammo1, Zecca di Camarina2, 425-405 a. C., Westermark & Jenkins 143

Descrizione sommaria:
D. Testa di Herakles barbato a sinistra con leonté. Davanti e sotto ΚAMAP-IN-A-ΙOΝ.3
R. Athena in quadriga al galoppo a destra incoronata da una Nike in volo a sinistra. In esergo colonna4.

La ricerca nel web di monete di tipologia simile a quella in esame ha prodotto i seguenti risultati:
  1. http://www.magnagraecia.nl/coins/Area_V_map/Kamarina_map/descrKamaWJ_143.html tetradrachm of Kamarina, 425-405 BC Obv. quadriga driven by Athena wearing Phrygian helmet, Nike above; in ex. Ionic column, signature ExE below Rev. head Herakles in lion's skin; text KAMAPINAION Westermark & Jenkins 143.5 17.55g 27,8mm  P.R. Franke and M. Hirmer (1964, 1972) Die Griechische Münze (no. 148) private collection.
  2. http://www.ukauctioneers.com/auction_houses/361/sales/3009?page=6 Lot 127 The Prospero Collection of Ancient Greek Coins. SICILY. Kamarina (c.425-405 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 16.80g. Signed by Eche.... Athena, wearing a long chiton and a Phrygian helmet, driving a galloping quadriga to right, she holds a kentron in her right hand and the reins in her left, Nike flies above to left to crown her, an Ionic column and the signature EXE (retrograde) (both off flan) in the exergue. Rev. KAMAP-IN-A-ION, bearded head of Herakles facing to left, wearing a lion's skin headdress, light traces of the signature EXE (retrograde) above (Westermark & Jenkins 143 (O5/R11); SNG Lloyd 868 (these dies); Rizzo pl. 5, 10 (these dies); Kraay -Hirmer pl. 53, 148 (these dies)). Wonderful style, a little softly-struck on the obverse, cabinet tone, obverse very fine, reverse good very fine and very rare. - The estimates are in USD $ 6,500.
  3. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=31503 Source Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Auction Triton VII (12.01.2004) Lot 51  ( «  |  » ) Price 6250 USD Description SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.29 gm). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Estimate $5000 SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.29 gm). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Athena driving galloping quadriga right, holding kentron in right hand, reins in both; Nike flying left above, placing wreath tied with a fillet on Athena's head; two amphorae in exergue connected by a line; EXAKESTIDAS (signature) on exergual line / KAMAPINAION, beardless head of Herakles left, wearing lion's skin headdress. Westermark & Jenkins 149 (O8/R15); SNG ANS 1205; SNG Lloyd 871 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 163; SNG Lockett 725 (same dies); Boston MFA 260 (same dies). Good VF, shallow bump on cheek. ($5000). In an unusual occurance, both somatypes of the demigod Herakles appear contemporaneously on the tetradrachms of Kamarina. There is the visage of the weary warrior, bearded with a brow creased by the cares of the world, and the mouth turned down in a scowl. Contrasting with this is the portrait of Herakles as a young man, beardless and fresh-faced, with an air of dispassionate strength. These portraits follow the two traditions of the myth of Herakles. The first, and most likely the oldest, is the bearded head. Here, Herakles is a demi-god, son of Zeus and a mortal woman, and the product of the absorption by the Greeks of earlier traditions from the east, ranging back in time to the Punic divinity Melkart and even further, to Gilgamesh of ancient Babylonia. Exakestidas, on the other hand, taps into a purely Greek concept of the hero as a perfect man, young, strong, and handsome - a kouros. The two threads interweave to create a noble protector, enjoying the favor and protection of the gods as well as the strength of his own arms.
  4. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=33795 Source Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Auction Mail Bid Sale 72 (14.06.2006) Lot 182  ( «  |  » ) Price 5500 USD Description SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.37 g, 3h). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Athena driving galloping quadriga right, holding kentron and reins; above, Nike flying left, placing wreath tied with fillet on Athena's head; two amphorae in exergue connected by line; signature EX[AKESTIDAS] on exergual line / Head of Herakles left, wearing lion skin. Westermark & Jenkins 149.19 (O8/R15) = Nanteuil 265 = Pozzi 401 (this coin); SNG ANS 1205; SNG Lloyd 871 (same dies). VF, toned, light cleaning scratches under tone on reverse. Well centered and struck on a broad flan. Ex Hess-Leu 36 (17 April 1968), lot 64; H. de Nanteuil Collection, 265; Prof. S. Pozzi Collection (Naville-Ars Classica I, 14 March 1921), lot 401. Estimate: $5000.
  5. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=45289 Source Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Auction Mail Bid Sale 79 (17.09.2008) Lot 70  ( «  |  » ) Price 7000 USD Description SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.08 g, 6h). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Athena driving galloping quadriga right; above, Nike flying left, placing wreath tied with fillet on Athena's head; in exergue, two amphoras connected by line; signature EΞA[KEΣTIΔAΣ] on exergual line / Head of Herakles left, wearing lion's skin headdress. Cf. Westermark & Jenkins 149 (O8/R-; unlisted rev. die); SNG ANS 1205; SNG Lloyd 871 (same obv. die); SNG Lockett 725 (same obv. die); Boston MFA 260 (same obv. die); Basel 313 = Jameson 523 (same obv. die). VF, attractively toned, struck with slightly worn obverse die. Bold head of Herakles. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 70 (21 September 2005), lot 43. Estimate: 6000 USD.
  6. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=89121 Source Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Auction Mail Bid Sale 67 (22.09.2004) Lot 270  ( «  |  » ) Price 3775 USD Description SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.29 gm). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Estimate $2500. SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.29 gm). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Athena driving galloping quadriga right, holding kentron and reins; above, Nike flying left, placing wreath tied with fillet on Athena's head; two amphorae in exergue connected by line; signature EXAKESTIDAS on exergual line / Head of Herakles left, wearing lion's skin headdress. Westermark & Jenkins 149.21 (O8/R15) = Basel 313 = Jameson 523 (this coin); SNG ANS 1205; SNG Lloyd 871 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 163; SNG Lockett 725 (same dies); Boston MFA 260 (same dies). VF, attractively toned, well-centered and struck with a bold signature. ($2500). From the Tony Hardy Collection. Ex Sammlung Ludwig (Numismatica Ars Classica 13, 8 October 1998), lot 313; Hess-Leu (27 March 1956), lot 75; R. Jameson Collection, 523; Sir Arthur Evans Collection.
  7. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=90506 Source Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Auction Triton X (09.01.2007) Lot 73  ( «  |  » ) Price 15000 USD Description SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.15 g, 8h). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Athena driving galloping quadriga right, holding kentron in right hand, reins in both; above, Nike flying left, holding in her extended hands a wreath tied with fillet which she places on Athena's head; two amphorae in exergue connected by line; signature EXAKESTIDAS on exergue line / KAMARINAION, head of Herakles left, wearing lion skin headdress. Westermark & Jenkins 149 (O8/R15); SNG ANS 1205; SNG Lloyd 871; BMC 14 = Rizzo pl. V, 11; Boston MFA 260; Jameson 523; Kraay & Hirmer 152 (all but ANS from the same dies). EF, gray tone with a hint of iridescence, minor die rust. Wonderful strike with full types visible.
  8. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=176452 Source Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Auction Triton V (15.01.2002) Lot 1176  ( «  |  » ) Price 5500 USD Description SICILY, Kamarina Estimate $7500. SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.95 gm). Athena driving galloping quadriga right, holding kentron in right hand, reins in left; Nike flying above and placing open wreath on Athena's head, grain in exergue / KAMAPINAION, youthful head of Herakles left, wearing lion's skin headdress. Westermark and Jenkins 147 (O7/R15 - this coin); SNG ANS 1206 (same dies); SNG Munich 402 var. (same obverse die); Jameson 525 var. (same obverse die). Attractively toned, near EF, finely engraved reverse die. ($7500) From the William N. Rudman Collection. Ex Triton III (30 November - 1 December 1999), lot 199; Numismatic Fine Arts Auction (8 December 1992), lot 6; Nelson Bunker Hunt Collection, Part III (Sotheby's, 4 December 1990), lot 20 (realized $12,100). Although not signed, this obverse die is attributed to the master artist Exakestidas.
  9. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=251577 Source Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Auction Price 14500 USD Description 752531. Sold For $14500 SICILY, Kamarina. Circa 425-405 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 17.12 gm, 8h). Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Athena driving galloping quadriga right, holding kentron in right hand, reins in both; Nike flying left above, placing wreath tied with a fillet on Athena's head; two amphorae in exergue connected by a line; EXAKESTIDAS (signature) on exergual line / KAMAPINAION, beardless head of Herakles left, wearing lion's skin headdress. Westermark & Jenkins 149 (O8/R15); SNG ANS 1205; SNG Lloyd 871 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 163; SNG Lockett 725 (same dies); Boston MFA 260 (same dies).Toned EF. Very rare. In an unusual occurance, both somatypes of the demigod Herakles appear contemporaneously on the tetradrachms of Kamarina. There is the visage of the weary warrior, bearded with a brow creased by the cares of the world, and the mouth turned down in a scowl. Contrasting with this is the portrait of Herakles as a young man, beardless and fresh-faced, with an air of dispassionate strength. These portraits follow the two traditions of the myth of Herakles. The first, and most likely the oldest, is the bearded head. Here Herakles is a demi-god, son of Zeus and a mortal woman, and the product of the absorption by the Greeks of earlier traditions from the east, ranging back in time to the Punic divinity Melkart and even further, to Gilgamesh of ancient Babylonia. Exakesidas, on the other hand, taps into a purely Greek concept of the hero as a perfect man, young, strong, and handsome - a koros. The two threads interweave to create a noble protector, enjoying the favor and protection of the gods as well as the strength of his own arms.
  10. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=516480 Source Roma Numismatics Limited Auction 2 (02.10.2011) Lot 75  ( «  |  » ) Price 3200 GBP (~4985 USD) Description Sicily, Kamarina AR Tetradrachm. Circa 425-405 BC. Obverse die signed by Exakestidas. Athena driving galloping quadriga right, holding kentron in right hand, reins in both; Nike flying left above, holding in her extended hands a wreath tied with fillet which she places on Athena’s head; two amphorae in exergue connected by line; signature EXAKESTIDAS on exergual line / Head of Herakles left, wearing lion skin headdress; KAMARINAION before. Westermark & Jenkins 149 (O8/R15); SNG ANS 1205; SNG Lloyd 871; BMC 14 = Rizzo pl. V, 11; Boston MFA 260; Jameson 523; Kraay & Hirmer 152 (all but ANS from the same dies). 17.22g, 27mm, 4h. Rare. Very Fine. Ex Gorny & Mosch 164, March 2008, lot 50; Ex Künker 94, 2004, lot 299. Following an extremely difficult start, wherein the city was founded by Syracuse in 599 BC, then destroyed by its mother-city, refounded by Gela, destroyed again and then refounded by Gela yet again, Kamarina attained a relatively high degree of prosperity that is reflected in a brief issue of magnificent tetradrachms, including a few signed issues by the artist Exakestidas. This coin dates to a short period of two decades when Kamarina had reached the zenith of its wealth and splendour, before it was razed to the ground by the Carthaginians in 405 BC. Immediately prior to the city’s destruction, the people were afflicted with a mysterious disease. The marsh of Kamarina, which acted as a natural defensive barrier, was suspected as the source of the illness. The city’s oracle was consulted over the popular idea of draining the marsh to end the affliction; the oracle advised against this, and suggested instead that the disease would pass in time. Nevertheless, under pressure, the city’s leaders decided to drain the marsh against the oracle’s advice. Shortly thereafter the Carthaginians advanced across the drained marsh and destroyed the city.
Veniamo ora agli aspetti peculiari del campione in esame. Si è detto nella nota 1 che la moneta di figura, se d'argento, presenta caratteristiche fisiche nella norma. Tuttavia lascia perplessi lo stile grossolano del tipo del rovescio e, quanto al dritto, le lettere inusualmente grandi della leggenda. Alla luce di quanto osservato, pur nei limiti di una valutazione a distanza, ritengo che la moneta sia una riproduzione moderna.

Un saluto cordiale.
Giulio De Florio

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Note:

(1) Tetradrammo (argento). Raccolgo in tabella le caratteristiche fisiche dei tetradrammi della tipologia di figura presenti nei link sopra indicati:
Riferimenti Peso (g.) Asse di conio (ore) Diametro (mm)
Link1 17,55 - 27,8
Link2 16,80 - -
Link3 17,29 - -
Link4 17,37 3 -
Link5 17,08 6 -
Link6 17,29 - -
Link7 17,15 8 -
Link8 16,95 - -
Link9 17,12 8 24
Link10 17,22 4 27
Dalla tabella si evince che le caratteristiche fisiche del tetradrammo di figura comunicate dal lettore (17g, 24mm, 12h) non si discostano da quelle dei tetradrammi d'epoca di pari tipologia.
(2) Camarina fu una colonia di Siracusa, fondata verso il 599 a. C. su una collina tra le foci dell'Oanis e dell'Ipparis (l'odierno Rifriscolaro - v. link) sulla costa della Sicilia a sud di Gela. In seguito ad una rivolta per l'autonomia fu distrutta da Siracusa attorno al 552. Ricostruita nel 495 e ricolonizzata da Ippocrate, tiranno di Gela, fu distrutta intorno al 484 da Gelone, tiranno di Siracusa. Al decennio che precede la distruzione si devono le prime litre arcaiche in argento (v. link). Nel 461 fu ricostruita come colonia di Gela e godette di grande prosperità sino al 405 quando i suoi abitanti dovettero abbandonarla sotto la minaccia cartaginese. La quarta ode olimpica di Pindaro e la successiva registrano la vittoria di Psaumide Camarinense nella corsa di carri del 456 o del 452, vittoria agonistica che Poole (Coins of Camarina, pag. 2) ritiene sia commemorata sui tetradrammi battuti dalla città nella seconda metà del 5° secolo (v. figura). Nuovamente ricostruita ad opera di Timoleonte, Camarina fu distrutta dai Romani durante la seconda guerra punica nel 258 a. C. (notizie tratte da Barclay Head - v. link). Alla distruzione seguì una nuova ricostruzione che dette vita alla città repubblicana (v. link).
(3) ΚAMAPINAΙOΝ (etnico= .. dei Camarinesi, moneta battuta nel nome del popolo di Camarina), con Herakles che indossa la leonté (pelle leonina), in ricordo della prima delle dodici fatiche di Ercole, l'uccisione del leone di Nemea, la cui pelle costituiva uno schermo invulnerabile, talché, solo strangolandola, fu possibile sopprimere la belva.
(4) Nel sito sulla monetazione della Magna Grecia di cui al link sono descritte alcune varianti del tetradramma "Herakles a sinistra con leonté/quadriga al galoppo a destra, con Nike" che si differenziano tra loro per lo sviluppo della leggenda del dritto, per il simbolo in esergo e qualche particolare:
Westermark & Jenkins 143 Herakles barbato a s. / sotto e davanti ΚAMAPINAΙOΝ (v. link) / Quadriga a d., in esergo colonna.
Westermark & Jenkins 187 Herakles imberbe a s./ sotto e davanti ΚAMAPINAΙOΝ, davanti ramo d'ulivo (v. link) / Quadriga a d., in esergo pesce. .
Westermark & Jenkins 147 >Herakles imberbe a s. / davanti ΚAMAPINAΙOΝ (v. link) / Quadriga a d., in esergo chicco di grano. Westermark & Jenkins 149 Herakles imberbe a s. / davanti ΚAMAPINAΙOΝ (v. link) / Quadriga a d., in esergo due anfore. Westermark & Jenkins 152 Herakles imberbe a s., davanti arco (v. link) / Quadriga a d., in esergo due anfore, sotto ΚAMAPINAΙOΝ.
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