Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 1333. Estimate CHF900.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF6500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Skotussa. Later 5th century BC. Drachm (Silver, 6.02 g 5). Forepart of horse to right; below, ΠΥ - Ν (last letter retrograde) Rev. ΣΚ - Ο Barley grain; all within incuse square. Auctiones 7, 1977, 164 (same obverse die. Traité IV, 626, pl. CCXCV, 6. An attractive and clear example. Nearly extremely fine.

This coin type was commonly dated to the immense period of c. 480-400 in earlier literature, then to the 460s BC alone. The fact that there are what seem to be magistrates’ initials on the obverse makes it clear that this coin was surely not struck before c. 450. In addition, the style of the unpublished hemiobol in the following lot, which almost certainly must accompany this drachm, brings the date down even further.