Silver Stater, Sybaris, 540-519 BCE

Silver Stater, Sybaris, 540-519 BCE; Obverse: Bull standing left, head right, dotted ground line between two lines; variant of cable border. Inscription ΣΥ (SY = abbreviation for Sybaris).
Silver Stater, Sybaris, 540-519 BCE; Reverse: Bull standing right, head left, incuse, striated incuse ground line and border.
Unidentified Artist, Greek

Type/Object Name: Ob: Bull standing on dotted ground line between two plain lines, variant of cable border. Inscription VM in retrograde (=ΣΥ = "SY" = abbreviation of Sybaris). | Re: Bull. Incuse punch.

Dates: 540-519 BCE

Medium: Silver, Stater

Dimensions: Diameter 29.3 mm, Weight 8.46 g 

Credit Line: Courtesy of John Nebel

Notes: Sybaris was a Greek colony founded in 720 BCE on the “sole” of Italy’s arch. Its citizens were famous for their wealth and leisure, made possible because of the local beef industry. Our word “sybaritic,” meaning self-indulgent and pleasure-seeking, comes from this ancient city. The image of the bull on the obverse and reverse of this coin highlights the importance of cattle for the city of Sybaris. The same image is shown on both sides of the coin – in raised relief on one side and impressed intaglio on the other. This created very strong coins that could be much thinner than the coins of the Greek mainland.

Collection: Coin, John Nebel

Bibliography: SNG ANS 828-842; Boston MFA 130; ACGC 572.

https://ancientmoney.org/magna_graecia/sybaris.html