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HJB Home > Ancient Coins Home > Inv. # cc85386

Crete, Cnossus; c.300-270 BC, Drachm, 4.97g. Svoronos-28. Obv: Head of Hera l., wearing a stephanos with floral ornaments, and an earring and necklace. Rx: KNΩΣI below labyrinth, A-P to l. and r. According to legend, the Cretan scientist Deadalus built the labyrinth at the request of King Minos, who needed to lock his monstrous son away. His wife had fallen in love with a sacrificial bull, producing a half-man, half-bull, known as the Minotaur. Deadalus designed it with such complexity that he nearly trapped himself inside its long passages. The Minotaur was placed at its center and many were sacrificed to keep it fed. Fearlessly, the Athenian hero Theseus volunteered as one of the victims, smuggling in a sword and slaying the Minotaur. He marked his path with a ball of twine which allowed him to navigate back out safely. The Labyrinth at Knossos is featured prominently on their coinage, depicted in rectangular, interlocking, and circular forms. It is not known for certain if the labyrinth existed, but recent archaeological excavations have unearthed large underground structures of tunnels and caves which may very well represent the labyrinth. The massive palace complex at Knossos was also possibly originally considered a labyrinth, with its structure perhaps being perceived as an inescapable maze by those from mainland Greece who were unfamiliar with its layout. The labyrinth side of this coin is uncommonly well struck and centered but the obverse is almost completely off-center. Since the planchet was placed by hand onto the obverse die, and the reverse punch was then set by hand onto the planchet, ancient coins are often highly inconsistent in their strike and centering. Ex Baldwin's 90, 24 September 2014, lot 1055. From the David Sellwood Collection.Face of Hera off flan. VF / EF