Larissa. Lot of 5 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 375. Estimate $500. Sold for $1600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 5 coins.

(375.1) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (17mm, 2.89 g, 4h). Thessalos to r., naked but for chlamys over his shoulders, his petasos attached to a cord around his neck and flying in the air behind him, holding a band with both hands around the forehead of a bull’s forepart leaping r., below to l., ΣΟ retrograde; all within a border of dots / ΛΑ above l. upwards, Ρ diagonally at the top r. corner, Ι horizontal to r., Σ diagonally at the lower r. corner, ΙΑ below, forepart of bridled horse r., all within a shallow incuse square with rounded edges. Lorber, Thessalian, p. 134, 6, pl. 41, 22; SNG Cop. 103 (same rev. die) var. [the obverse here has the ΣΟ clearly but the text in SNG Cop. reads ΡΟ instead]; Weber 2836 (same rev. die) var. [the obv. in Weber reads ΟΣ retrograde and not ΣΟ retrograde as on this coin]. Near VF, lightly toned, obv. a little off centre.

Acquired from Spink’s, December 1988, for £ 200.

The reverse die from the same hand as the rev. of lot 375.4 below

(375.2) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (15.5mm, 2.96 g, 3h). ΣΟ retrograde below (barely visible), Thessalos to l., naked but for chlamys over his shoulders, his petasos on his back, holding a band with both hands around the forehead of a bull’s forepart leaping l., all within a border of dots / Λ above l., Α to r., Ρ-Ι below, forepart of bridled horse r. all within a shallow incuse square. McClean 4593, pl. 172, 20 (same dies); De Luynes 1833 (same dies). VF, nicely toned; some roughness on the edge of the rev. at 6 to 9 o’clock.

Acquired from Robert Myers, June 1975, for $500.


(375.3) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (15.5mm, 2.90 g, 10h). ΣΟ below, the Σ reversed, Thessalos to r., naked but for chlamys over his shoulders, his petasos behind him, holding a band with both hands around the forehead of a bull’s forepart leaping r., all within a border of dots / ΛΑ l. upwards., Ρ above r., Ι to r. horizontally, Σ diagonally and reversed below r., ΙΑ below, forepart of bridled horse r. all within concave circle. Weber 2836 (same dies); Lorber, Thessalian, p. 134, 8, pl. 41, 23. VF, dark toning, the rev. surface marked with small digs.


(375.4) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (17mm, 2.91 g, 11h). 𐌔-Ο below, the 𐌔 reversed, Thessalos to r., naked but for chlamys over his shoulders, his petasos behind his back, holding a band with both hands around the forehead of a bull’s forepart leaping r., all within a border of dots / Λ[Α] above l. upwards, [Ρ] diagonally at the top r. corner, Ι horizontal to r., [Σ] diagonally at the lower r. corner, ΙΑ below, forepart of bridled horse r., all within a shallow incuse square with rounded edges. Lorber, Thessalian, p. 135, 9, pl. 42, 24. Near VF, slightly uneven toning.

The reverse die from the same hand as the reverse of lot 375.1 above

(375.5) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (17mm, 2.94 g, 9h). ΟΠ below to l., Thessalos to r., naked but for chlamys over his shoulders, his petasos behind his back, holding a band with both hands around the forehead of a bull’s forepart leaping r., all within a border of dots / Α above l., Λ to r., ΡΙ below, forepart of a bridled horse r., below, sandal of Jason to r., all in shallow incuse square with rounded edges and concave field. Lorber, Thessalian, p. 136, 15, pl. 42, 30; see also Nomos 4, 1124 (same dies). VF, lightly toned, a few scratches on the obv. with some roughness to the r. of the reverse; a rare type, artfully engraved.

This rare hemidrachm of fine style connects, by means of the ΟΠ or ΠΟ control letters, with the trihemiobols of lots 365.3 and 360.3 that also demonstrate elevated artistic qualities.