Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 1225. Estimate CHF475.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Peirasia. C. 320s-250s BC. Trichalkon (Bronze, 20 mm, 5.13 g 6). Head of Athena to right, wearing Corinthian helmet adorned with serpent. Rev. ΠΕΙΡΑΣΙ - Ε - ΩΝ Athena Itonia striding right, wearing long, archaic robes and helmet with high crest, holding shield with her left hand and hurling spear with her upraised right. Cf. Moustaka 42 (an unillustrated example of the same type, but with an incomplete legend). E. Pendleton, The Coinage of Peirasia, SNR 87 (2008), pp. 45-60, BL 1a = pl. 4, 3 (this coin) . Extremely rare. Attractive dark brown patina but with some minor scrapes and pitting, otherwise, good very fine.

Until the useful article by Pendeleton appeared in 2008, the coinage of Peirasia was virtually unknown, especially the bronzes (a few silver coins had been previously published, but, in any case, two of those were misidentified). The silver all dates to the 4th century; unfortunately none in the BCD collection are in good enough condition to be included here. As for the bronzes, there is a small denomination, surely a chalkous, and a larger one, here termed a trichalkon: the present coin is the finest known bronze coin from Peirasia.