For Those Who Love Victory

@Ancient--on closer inspection I saw the pitting and wondered if that's the explanation. My post got ahead of those observations. That's a great figure of Nike--there's a lot of fluidity to the lines, the best of Greek coin art.

Not long ago I did some searching to find the oldest coin I could with a depiction of Nike (Victory). This is the oldest one I've found so far.
There are several types from this era, here is one of them.

Picture and description from acsearch.


Sicily. Syracuse. c. 490-485 BC. Tetradrachm, 17.03g (2h). Obv: Quadriga in slow motion to right, the charioteer holding reins and long goad. Above, Nike flying to crown the horses. Dotted border. Rx: ΣVRÎ' - ΚΟΣΙ - Ο - Î� Head of nymph Arethusa right, wearing necklace; around, four dolphins. Boehringer 59 (O31/R38). Randazzo Hoard 242 (same dies). SNG ANS -. Beautiful archaic head of Arethusa. Struck in high relief. Beautifully centered surrounded by four magnificent dolphins. Extremely unusual obverse with large charioteer and graceful Nike over the quadriga with wings spread. Mint State.

Ok that coin is nuts. Surprisingly much older then I thought I thought it appeared on the coinage of Korinth. Nike appears as a small device in the right obverse field of the 130grs/ 8.5g stater. Although other early figures like the gorgan appear too.

That coin is rediculus.