59. ARKADIA, Arkadian League. Kleitor. Circa 480-470 BC. Obol (Silver, 1.03 g 9). Zeus Lykaios seated left on throne. Rev. AR (retrograde) Head of Kallisto to left. BCD Peloponnesos (Kleitor) 1394 var. ( a hemidrachm of very similar style). Williams, Confederate 23-28 var. Very rare. Darkly toned and with a splendid head of Kallisto. Nearly extremely fine.
60. ARKADIA, Kleitor. Circa 370-350 BC. Obol (Silver, 0.88 g 5). Helmeted head of Athena to right, cheek piece raised; behind, Α. Rev. ΚΛΗ (retrograde) Bridled horse galloping to right with trailing rein. BCD 1421 (same dies). BMC 7 var. SNG Copenhagen 220 (same dies). Very rare. Obverse struck from a rusty die and reverse with some die faults, otherwise, about extremely fine.
61. CRETE, Phaistos. Circa 300-270 BC. Stater (Silver, 11.31 g 12). ΤΑ-ΛΩ-Ν The winged nude giant Talos standing facing, hurling a stone from his upraised right hand and holding another in his left. Rev. Bull standing to left, his head turned to face the viewer. Le Rider, Monnaies Crétoises p. 24, 17 = pl. IV, 17 (this coin). Extremely rare, apparently the only example of this variety known. Nicely toned and attractive. Some unobtrusive traces of overstriking on the obverse, otherwise, extremely fine. From the collection of W. Niggeler, 1, Bank Leu/Münzen und Medaillen, 3 December 1965, 335, ex Kricheldorf, 28 May 1956, 1056, and from the Phaistos Region Hoard of 1953 (IGCH 152). The coins of Phaistos showing the great giant Talos are among the most mythologically interesting coins of Crete. Talos seems to be a pre-Hellenic solar deity whose powers were taken over by Zeus. he is also said to have been created by Hephaistos as a favor to Zeus in order to protect Europa, who had fled to Crete, from malefactors. He did this by hurling boulders at any passing ships that thought to land without permission. He was supposedly destroyed when Medea managed to remove the nail that stopped his vein and his molten blood ran out. The bull on the reverse must be a depiction of Zeus in the form he assumed when he kidnapped Europa.
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