Greece, Sicily, Leontini, Tetradrachm 450-420 BC

Weight 17,68 g, 27 mm. A spectacular coin. A work of art by Greek engravers from Magna Graecia in the Classical period. On the obverse, the head of a youthful Apollo crowned with a laurel wreath, facing left. The god’s visage is marked by serenity, with finely rendered details of the eye, nose, and mouth. On the reverse, a lion’s head facing left, shown in profile, with a strongly emphasized mane and an open jaw. The lion constitutes a classic example of a so-called “speaking emblem”, clearly alluding to the city’s name derived from the Greek word leon. The lion’s head is surrounded by grains of wheat, underscoring the agricultural character of the region of Leontini and its importance as a food-producing hinterland of eastern Sicily. In the field, the legend ΛΕΟΝΤΙΝΟΝ, placed around the lion's head. Reference: Boehringer, Leontinoi-55; Rizzo-pl. XXIIII, 4; SNG ANS-229.