THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 356-342 BC. AR Stater (23.5mm, 12.26 g, 6h). Good VF.

CNG Feature Auction 130
Lot: 101. Estimated: $ 2 000

Greek, Coin-in-Hand Video, Silver

Sold For $ 2 250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 356-342 BC. AR Stater (23.5mm, 12.26 g, 6h). Head of the nymph Larissa facing slightly left, hair in ampyx / Bridled horse prancing right. L-S Type II, Series A, dies O6/R4; Lorber, Hoard, 66 (same dies); BCD Thessaly I 1160 (same obv. die); HGC 4, 409. Toned, a little die wear on obverse, slight die shift on reverse. Good VF.

The name Larissa likely derives from a pre-Greek word for “citadel” or “fortress.” One of the largest cities in Thessaly, Larissa produced a large and varied coinage beginning in the early-fifth century BC, mostly featuring the hero Thessalos wrestling a bull. Starting about 404 BC, inspired by Kimon’s Syracusan facing-head portrait of the spring nymph Arethousa, Larissa introduced a new design also featuring a facing female head, probably intended to represent a local spring nymph bearing the city’s name. The nymph heads feature on nearly all Larissan coinage, including bronzes, tiny fractions, silver drachms (by far the most numerous coins struck and surviving), and staters of two drachms. The larger staters, in particular, are closely modeled on Kimon’s Arethousa, lacking only the dolphins surrounding the portrait on the original.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 130 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 23-24 September 2025. This lot is in Session One, which will begin 23 September at 9 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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