TYPE Ancient Greece, Assos (Troas), ca. 479-450 BC, silver obol, 0.50g DESCRIPTION . Obv: Griffin seated r. Rev: Lion's head right, Greek legend 'ASS' above, all within incuse square REFERENCE: SG 4044v, Ros 528, Kay -, Cop -, VA -, BMC -; TraitŽ pl. CLXIII, 26 GRADING: F / VF, some porosity (more on obv.), rare ORDER INFO: G3296, $140 Rare early issue, here with (first) three letters of the ethnic inline and clearly visible to the upper right of the lion's head. Similar to piece from CNG 66, (#427), though that one (seemingly erroneously, judging by its image) is described as having "no ethnic". Located just opposite the Aegean island of Lesbos at the point where it closest to on the Asia Minor mainland, Assos shared the archaic "roaring lion" design characteristic of certain silver and electrum of Lesbos, but also certain other Western Asia Minor locales (e.g. Kyzikos).