445, Lot: 7. Estimate $500. Sold for $750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

GAUL, Massalia. Circa 525-460 BC. AR Hemiobol (6.5mm, 0.53 g). Gorgoneion / Rough incuse square. Cf. Rosen 380 = Rosen Sale 134 (triobol; Asia Minor); cf. MMAG FPL 296, no. 9 (triobol; Asia Minor); otherwise unpublished in the standard references. VF, toned, granular surfaces. Very rare.

From the AMA Collection, purchased privately in February 2012.

Auriol Group M is of the same type as here, but the style is significantly different. The Rosen and MMAG triobols are of the exact same type and style, and apparently are the only pieces of this issue that are published. Though the triobols were assigned to Asia Minor in those catalogs, it was speculative, as there was no evidence for such. Though not previously given to Massalia, the weights of these coins comport with the archaic issues.