The city of Leontinoi was founded by colonists from Naxos as Leontini in 729 BC, which in its beginnings was a Chalcidian colony established five years earlier. It is virtually the only Greek settlement in Sicily that is not located on the coast, founded around 6 miles inland.
The site, originally held by the Sicels, was seized by the Greeks owing to their command on the fertile plain in the north. The city was reduced to subject status in 494 BC by Hippocrates of Gela, who made his ally Aenesidemus its tyrant.
In 476 BC, Hieron of Syracuse moved the inhabitants from Catana and Naxos to Leontini. Later on, the city of Leontini regained its independence. However, as a part of the inhabitants efforts to retain their independence, they invoked more than once the interventions of Athens. It was mainly the eloquence of Gorgias of Leontini which led to the abortive Athenian expedition of 427 BC.
In 422 BC, the Greek city-state of Syracuse supported the oligarchs against the people and received them as citizens, Leontini itself being forsaken. This led to a renewed Athenian intervention. Initially as a diplomatic one, the exiles of Leontini joined the envoys of Segesta in persuading Athens to undertake the great Sicilian Expedition of 415 BC.
After the failure of the Expedition, Leontini became subject to Syracuse once more. The city’s independence was guaranteed by the treaty of 405 BC between Dionysius and the Carthaginians, but it was soon lost again. The city was finally stormed by Marcus Claudius Marcellus in 214 BC.
AR Tetradrachm c. 475-460 BC Leontini Sicily, NGC Ch XF Ch XF 5/5-4/5
22,970.00 US$
Material: Silver
Weight: 16.77 g – Diameter: 26.50 mm
Obv: Nike over quadriga
Rev: lion hd.,barley grains
Mint Mark: SICILY, LEONTINI
Fast biga driven right by charioteer, holding kentron and reins; above, Nike flying right and crowning horses, Lion’s head right, with open jaws and tongue protruding; around four barley grains, Very rare! Beautifully toned, of fine style and very well-preserved. A superb piece from Leontini’s earliest tetradrachm issue.
Ex NAC sale 8, 1995, 130. Rizzo pl. XXII, 6 (this reverse die). SNG ANS 199 (this obverse die).
From the Charles Gillet collection (Gillet 436) ΛE – O – NT – I – N – ΩN
NGC certificate number: 6639614-016
AR Tetradrachme Sicily, Leontini – circa 476-466 BC XF-/XF
21,790.00 US$
Grade: cf. Nomos auction 23, 30 November 2021, lot 25 (in | Abbreviations
Catalog: Leontinoi
Weight: 16,82 gr – Diameter: 22.00 mm
Obv. Bearded charioteer in long chiton, driving quadriga walking to right, holding reins in both hands, above Nikè flying right crowning the horses.
Rev. Lion’s head with open jaws to right around, four grains of barley and the text ? E O N T I N O N
A superb piece from Leontini’s earliest tetradrachm issue its obverse was copied from those on the contemporary tetradrachms of Syracuse.
Rare.
cf. Nomos auction 23, 30 November 2021, lot 25 (in xf SFR 28.000 + 22,5%)
cf. BMC 3 | SNG.ANS.203 | SNG.Delepierre 562-563var. | Boehringer, Zur Münzgeschichte von Leontinoi in Klassischer Zeit, FS Price, pl. 10,8 cf. Jameson 621 | Rizzo pl. XXII, 10 | cf. Pozzi 1056 | SNG.Copenhagen 338 | SNG.München 539 | cf. McClean 2317 | cf. Sear 825 | HGC 2, 660 R
perfectly centered
Greek Tetradrachm 450-420 BC Sicily, Leontini EF
8,125.00 US$
Material: Silver
Weight: 17.57 g – Diameter: 24.50 mm
Obv: Laured head of Apollo to left.
Rev: Lion’s head to left, whith open jaws and tongue protruding; around three barley grains and a laurel leaf, LEO-N-TI-N-OY.
Catalog: SNG ANS 257; RIZZO 24 pl.4
Ex Rietdijk Auction 369, Juni 2000, lot 801.
Sicily AR Tetradrachm circa 430-425 BC Leontini gVF
5,885.00 US$
Material: Silver
Weight: 16.79 grams – Diameter: 24 mm
Sicily Leontini AR Tetradrachm circa 430-425 BC
Obv. Head of Apollo left, wearing laurel wreath
Rev. Head of roaring lion right; LE-O-N-TI-N-ON around; three barley grains above, to left, and below; leaf behind.
Good Very Fine. Typical die break on the obverse (diagnostic for die). Minor deposits.
Boehringer 55 (same dies); SNG ANS 257 (same dies); HGC 2, 671.
Ex Gorny & Mosch, Ex Busso Peus, Ex Numismatik Naumann.
Sicilian Tetradrachm 450-430 BC, Leontinoi VF-EF
4,425.00 US$
Material: Silver
Weight: 17.37 g – Diameter: 25.50 mm
Grade: fine toning, minor edge flaw, VF-EF
Catalog: HGC 2, 667; Boehringer, Leontinoi 40; SNG ANS 222
Obverse: Head of Apollo with laurel wreath to right
Reverse: ΛΕΟ-Ν-Τ-Ι-NΟ-Ν Lion’s head with open mouth surrounded by four barley grains to right
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