Ancients: MACEDON. Mende. Ca. 460-423 BC. AR tetradrachm (26mm, 16.87 gm, 9h). NGC AU 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style....

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Top Certified Dionysus Mende Tetradrachm

MACEDON. Mende. Ca. 460-423 BC. AR tetradrachm (26mm, 16.87 gm, 9h). NGC AU 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style. Dionysus, bearded, head right, and nude save for mantle draped around loins, reclining left on the back of an ass walking right, high-handled cantharus in right hand; thick linear border / MEN-ΔA-I-ON, legend surrounding linear frame enclosing vine of four grape clusters; all within shallow incuse square. S. P. Noe, "The Mende (Kaliandra) Hoard", NNM 27, 1926, 70 (same dies). Exceptionally well-struck from high-relief artistic dies on superb flan. The finest certified Mende tetradrachm, and possessing incredible eye appeal.

Ex Ponterio & Associates, NYINC Sale 152 (8 January 2010), lot 5832

The evocative coinage of Mende illustrates some long-forgotten myth regarding Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry, and the patron god of the city. Mende was famous as a center of wine production, as evidenced by numerous amphorae bearing the city's stamp found throughout the Hellenic world. Although Dionysus is usually depicted in procession riding in a chariot pulled by panthers, on coins of Mende he is shown with a more humble form of transportation, reclining languidly on the back on an ass, clutching a high-handled wine cup and appearing pleasantly inebriated.

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