28.  
-.  Late Third Democracy or early in the reign of Agathocles . 
AR Drachm 4.12 g, struck ca 317/316. 
SYRAKOSIWN, Laureate head of youthful Ares left; behind, 
Palladium. 
Rev. Triskeles of three human legs with winged feet left; 
gorgoneion at the center. 

Basel 503; BMC 353; Jameson 864 = KF 229 (this coin). 

Extremely rare,  one of perhaps five known examples. 
Estimate $9000
ex Bank Leu/Münzen und Medaillen, 28 May 1974, 229, ex R. 
Jameson 864 and ex Sir Arthur J. Evans.

There is a great controversy over whether these drachms were 
issued at the very end of the Third Democracy in Syracuse, or 
at the beginning of the rule of Agathocles, when he was starting 
to consolidate his power. The triskeles was a favorite symbol of 
Agathocles because it recalled the mythological name for Sicily,  
Trinakria; he used it as an emblem of his power over the island. 
The five known examples of this type are: 
1) this example, ex Moretti, Jameson and Evans; 
2) Giesecke, Sicilia Numismatica pl. 19, 13 = Hirsch XVI (1906), 311;  
3) BMC 353; 
4) NAC 13, 503 - ex Moretti; 
5) Imhoof-Blumer, MG p. 32, 73. 
At least two pairs of dies are known
It is the most enigmatic of all Syracusan issues. 

with permission of Nomos 2 auction.