Lot 22
Sicily. Acragas. 420-415 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.23g, 3h). Bank Leu 1976 (15) lot 51 (same dies); Westermark 529.6 (same dies). Very rare. Less than ten known from these dies. Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered and struck. Insignificant marks and die breaks. Among the most fascinating and masterly engraved compositions of the entire Sicilian series. Superb extremely fine. From a private collection, acquired from Tradart, Brussels, 1988; possibly from the 1960 Pachino hoard (IGCH 2090)
The identification of this remarkable fish has caused some controversy. It has been called a gurnard, a John Dory or most often a stone-bass... The most convincing identification is however that given by Zeuner, who concludes that it is not a Cernia, but a related sea-perch or mero (Epinephelus guaza), a very large species reaching four feet in length. Both species appear in Aristotle under the common name Orphos. The enormous mouth is shown gaping, and Zeuner assumes that the reason for this is that engraver "did not use a live specimen... but one that had died from suffocation". However, the fish does not seem here not death at all; on the contrary, the open jaws enhance its ferocious look. On fish plates these giant fish are sometimes drawn with open mouth when, simply, chasing a smaller fish swimming in front of them
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