AR Tetradrachm (17.45 g).

Tetradrachm circa 420-415, AR 17.31 g. above, Nike flying l. to crown horses. Rev. ΓEΛAΣ Forepart of man-headed bull r. SNG ANS 93. KraayHirmer 162 (this coin). Rare. A superb reverse in the finest Classical style perfectly struck and with a lovely old cabinet tone. The reverse, as usual, from a worn die, otherwise good extremely fine Ex NAC 9, 1996, 154; NAC 18, 2000, 85 and LHS 102, 2008, 59 sales. From the A.D.M. and Star collections.

Charioteer driving walking quadriga right, holding kentron in right hand, reins in both; Nike flying above crowning horse's, palmette with tendrils in exergue

CELAS, forepart of man-headed bull right.

Jenkins 354.2 (O68/R140 - this coin); SNG ANS 65 (same dies). Jenkins 473.9 (this coin, illustrated on pl. 27 and with the reverse enlarged on pl. 51).

Although the city was a Creto-Rhodian foundation of the seventh century BC, the name of the river and later the city is of local Sicanian origin, meaning very cold, as the water is, running from the Heraei mountains to the north.

The rather brutal half-length figure of the man-faced bull swimming right is based on the 'father of all rivers', Achelous, and is clearly identified by the ethnic Gelas as the personification of the river rushing to its mouth, where the city Gela stood. It was defined by Virgil (Aen. 3, 702) as:

'immanisque Gela fluvii cognomina dicta'.