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Panticapaeum - Young Satyr & Lion, Two Counter-marks, 304-250 BC

Panticapaeum City Issue, originally struck ca. 310-4 B.C.

Æ;  22mm/6.6gm

Con/ Extremely Fine for the issue; deep glossy green patina.

Obv/ Head of beardless satyr left, hair wreathed with ivy. Counter-marked with star.

Rev/ Head of lion left; sturgeon fish below; PAN. Counter-marked with Bow in Case.

Ref/ MacDonald #114

Seller's Note/ Counter-marking coins at Panticapaeum was a very common way to increase their value. At first, coins were simply CM's with a hinged die, but after time this grew so cumbersome that the celators simply recreated the original coin and engraved the counter-marks on both sides!

This coin is of the first type, CM'd with a hinged die. The easy way to tell the difference between the two CM types is that on the 'hinged die' types, the reverse lion image has been flattened by the strike. On 'engraved' CM'd coins, the CM's are perfectly centered.