Syracuse silver decadrachm signed by engraver Kimon sold for EUR 130,000 plus buyer's fee
A silver decadrachm struck in Syracuse, Sicily, around 405-400 BC sold for EUR 130,000 plus buyer's fee, against an estimate listed as "75.000,00 EUR". The result was reported in a news post on the Elsen website dated June 20, 2025.
Correction (Oct 13, 2026): We rewrote the headline, summary and body to match the source. We removed unsupported material (including claims that fewer than 10 examples survive, descriptions of Artemis and quadriga imagery, links to the Persian Wars, minting techniques, market and investment outlooks, and references to other auction houses) and the description of the auction firm as French, and stated the hammer price (EUR 130,000 plus buyer's fee), the estimate and the engraver Kimon as the source gives them. The previous headline was "Syracuse Decadrachm Auction Garners Attention."
This article is based on a news post published on the Elsen website on June 20, 2025. The source does not give the date of the sale or the name of the auction.
A silver decadrachm of Syracuse in Sicily, the largest coin circulating in Sicily at that time, was auctioned for EUR 130,000 plus buyer's fee. The estimate was listed as "75.000,00 EUR".
The coin is described as: Sicily, Syracuse, Dionysius I (406-367 BC), silver decadrachm, around 405-400 BC.
The coin was struck in Syracuse around 405-400 BC, during the reign of the tyrant Dionysius I. According to the source, the decadrachm was the largest coin circulating in Sicily at that time and was used for large transactions or for paying mercenaries.
The dies are signed in three places by the master engraver Kimon. His name appears on both the obverse and the reverse, which the source says attests to his prominence in Syracuse. The name of the tyrant Dionysius does not appear.
The source counts the decadrachms by the two master engravers Evainetos and Kimon among the most beautiful artistic achievements in Greek numismatics.
Source: Elsen, "An exceptional decadrachm from Syracuse" (June 20, 2025).
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