Akragas Tetradrachm

AR Sicily, Agrigentum Tetradrachm 464-450 B.C. (17.09g) O: Eagle l. around AKRAG ANTOS; SNG ANS 983. R: Crab, rose below. G: Superb EF. Possibly the finest known example. Both sides are in high relief. Ex Sicily hoard 2006 (reportedly composed of about 500 didrachms and 50 tetradrachms having a lot of corrosion. About 40-50 are yet to be cleaned and are therefore of unknown type and quality. This is one of the three best and competes favorably with a similar tetradrachm from this hoard sold in Tkalec 5/7/06, lot number 24, and cleaned by him which brought 33k Swiss Francs. It is superior to all the Akragas Tetradrachms in Gulbenkian. According to EJW this coin is as sharp, or slightly sharper, than the Tkalec, is slightly better centered, but has some slight roughness of the surfaces most noticeable on the reverse below the crab. Extremely rare in this state of preservation.