Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 1382. Estimate CHF550.
Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.
Sold For CHF10000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. |
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THESSALY, Thessalian League. Late 2nd - mid 1st century BC. Drachm (Silver, 4.19 g 12), Sosipatros, Alketas and two monograms. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet with griffin on the bowl; behind, Φ; below, ΣΩΣΙΠΑΤΡΟΣ.
Rev. ΘΕΣΣΑ / ΛΩΝ Bridled horse trotting to right; below, monogram of ΤΚ; in exergue, ΑΛΚΕΤΟΥ.
Unpublished and otherwise unknown apart from its two previous auction appearances. A superb and very pretty piece, beautifully preserved . Hairline crack,
otherwise, good extremely fine.
Ex Triton VII, 12 January 2004, 195 ($2000) and Credit de la Bourse, 19 April 1995, 1252.
A note from BCD: The Credit de la Bourse catalogue arrived two days after the auction; when I opened it, it felt like a stab in my heart as I immediately recognized this unique coin for what it was. A phone call to Paris informed me that a Japanese buyer had acquired it at a price of FF 14,000, FF 2000 below the estimate. I immediately wrote a letter for the buyer, with various exchange and/or direct purchase suggestions at very favorable terms, and I’m sure that my offers (including polaroid photos) were forwarded to Japan by the very kind principal of the company. Unfortunately there was no reply, but almost nine years later the coin came up for sale again. This time I was present at the auction and was determined not to let it escape. The hammer price was $2000 and I am curious as to what it will go for this time, seven years later. Unique coins should never change hands like that, traveling all over the world; they should find a loving home and stay there for a long, long time. ASW adds, gathering dust or maturing like a good wine?. He further adds that he remembers one rare coin, much sought after by true collectors like BCD, that was purchased by a wealthy and elderly gentleman in order for it to be made into jewelry for his much younger wife. We later found out where it was meant to go...
