"Oineus, king of Kalydon in Aitolia, once had feasted the gods at an harvest festival but forgotten to butcher an animal for Artemis. The goddess was enraged and sent a big boar who wasted the fertile fields of the king. Oineus called for help and from all parts of Greece the heroes came to help him. There were the Curetes from Pleuron, the brothers of Althaia, the wife of Oineus. There were the Dioscurs Kastor and Polydeikes and their Messenian cousins Idas and Lynkeus. Theseus came from Athens, Iphikles, half-brother of Herakles, came from Thebens, Iason, Admetos, Peirithos, Peleus and Eurytion came from Thessalia, Telamon from Salamis, Amphiaraos from Argos, Ankaios and Atalante from Arcadia and much more. Herakles was prevented by his labours. On top of the heroes stood Meleagros, the son of Oineus and Althaia. The hunt for the Calydonean boar ended very disastrous. Many heroes lost their lifes. Ankaios was the first killed by the boar. Peleus accidentally hit his father-in-law Eurytion with his spear. A second hunter too was killed by the boar. The big catastrophe happened at the 6th day of the hunt. On this day Atalanta hit the boar with her arrow and Meleagros gave him the deathblow. Then he awarded head and skin of the boar to Atalante. But his uncles, brother of his mother Althaia, didn't tolerate that. They insisted on the rights of their clan. A dispute occured, they snatched the trophies from Atalante and then a fight began in which Meleagros slew his uncles. When Meleagros was born the fates predicted that he will live only as long as the log in the oven. Althaia pulled it out of the fire and hid it in a secret place. When she heard of the death of her brothers she enraged, got the log and threw it in the fire. When it was burnt Meleagros break down dead when he was dissecting the boar." - Jochen's Coins of mythological interest

Although the significance of the type to the moneyer who caused it to be struck remains a mystery, the classical myth which it depicts and the lesson it carried regarding the consequences of neglecting the Gods would have been a message well known to and easily recognised by the ancient Romans. The Calydonian boar was sent by Diana (or Artemis as she was called by the Greeks) to ravage the lands of Calydon in Aetolia, where the king Oeneus had not afforded her the proper rites and respect. With the citizens cowering behind city walls, a hunt was organised by the king in which the lone female hunter, Atalanta, was the first to draw blood when she pierced the gigantic boar through its side with her spear, as depicted in this fine reverse type. The coin is easily one of my favourites of the Republican era.

Ex. Andrew McCabe Collection (CNG Electronic Auction 472; Lot 259); Ex. Numismatica Ars Classica 114 (Part 2; Lot 1326); Ex. Gorny & Mosch 186 (Lot 1798). Notes from Andrew McCabe: "I purchased this coin due to the really exceptional speared boar and dog on the reverse and the very large flan, but later found an example from the collection of Benjamin Nightingale, a well-known 19th century antiquarian. My new coin has a less cute boar, but I had to choose between provenance and art." Andrew's loss is my gain!