Velia, located on the western shores of Italy (just above the foot of the boot) was founded in the 6th century BC by the Phocaeans. When one thinks of the coinage of Velia, typically the image of Athena on the obverse is recognized. The reverse will feature a lion, either standing or in the state of devouring the leg of a stag. The group, of which this coin is placed, is amongst the earliest of the “Athena” heads. It is called ondulati and according to Williams, who wrote the study on these coins in 1992, it is a distinctive group that have a nymph on the obverse and owl on the reverse. The nymph stylistically mirrors the coins of nearby Terina (see Regling’s study on Terina done in 1906 on plate 1, e-q).  

This particular coin, while auctioned off most recently in a 2004 Scandinavian sale, was once in a 1934 of Felix Schlessinger. The story of Mr. Schlessinger is a sad one that is a common thread among numismatists of the 1930’s in Germany. Schlessinger, of Jewish descent, was murdered in Auschwitz by the Nazi’s. The story does have a glimmer of happiness however in that his son, Mark Salton (born Max Schlessinger) survived the war and was a long time supporter of the American Numismatic Society. After his death in 2006, his wife, Lottie, continued to support the ANS until her death in 2020. 

A link to more about Mark Salton is here: http://numismatics.org/magazine/saltonspring06/