- Return to Provenance Coins, Part II: Eastern Greek (to this coin)
- Return to Provenance Glossary (to Athena Fund)
- See the Provenance Diagram
Tarsos, Cilicia AR Stater (10.66g, 22.5mm, 1h). temp. Mazaios (Satrap), 361 – 334 BCE.
Obv: BLTRZ (Baaltars) in Aramaic to right. Baal of Tarsos seated left, holding eagle, grain ear, grapes, and scepter; TR (in Aramaic) to lower left, M (in Aramaic) below throne.
Rev: MZDI. Lion attacking bull left; monogram below.
Ref: SNG Levante 106; Casabonne Series 2, Group C. Cf. BMC 53; Babelon 695.
Provenance:
– Ex J.B. Collection, purchased from Calgary Coin Galleries, Autumn 2004 & CNG eAuction 455, Lot 168 (30 October 2019);
– Dr. Joseph M. Seventko Collection, Heritage Auction 296, Lot 11134 (27 July 2002), the first-ever major sale of slabbed ancient coins (by ICG);
– ICG (AU53) #5571290112 (removed from encapsulation, Feb 2021);
– CNG MBS XXIX (30 March 1994), Lot 252 (ill. on p. 25);
– Athena Fund (Part II), Sotheby’s w/ Numismatic Fine Arts, “Greek and Roman Coins” (Zurich, 27 October 1993), Lot 808.1 (part of, 2 coins, reverse illustrated), .
– From the so-called “Tarsus Hoard” (late 1970s) which entered the American market in the early 1980s (Bing, Daniel J. 1998. “Datames and Mazaeus: The Iconography of Revolt and Restoration in Cilicia.” Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte 47 (1): 41-76.: p. 63, note 6, and p. 73).
This coin is notable for having been part of the famous ancient coin investment fund run by Bruce McNall for Merill Lynch, “Athena Fund.” (Later, it was also one of the first ancient coins ever slabbed.) After Athena Fund’s collapse, McNall was imprisoned for a time for financial crimes. He wrote an excellent autobiography covering much of his career in the ancient coin world (and in Hollywood and as part owner of NHL team LA Kings).
Below is my autographed copy of his book, Fun while it Lasted, which he inscribed to one of his lawyers (who in turn inscribed it to a family member)! (Names redacted below as they’re still public figures.)
