Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 1043. Estimate CHF100.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF1400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Gomphi-Philippopolis. Circa 350 BC, and later (?). Tetrachalkon (Bronze, 18mm, 5.87 g 11). Head of Hera, three-quarters facing to right, wearing stephanos and pendant earrings. Rev. ΓΟΜΦΕΩΝ Zeus Palamnaios seated on rocks to left, holding long scepter in his right hand and resting his left on the rock. BMC 2 = Traité IV, 533 and pl. CCXCI, 4 var. SNG Copenhagen 50 var. Rogers 214 var. Very rare, an unusual variant with the full reverse legend. Dark brown patina. Some bangs and scrapes, otherwise clear and, very fine.

The bronze coinage of Gomphi begins with a small issue of tetrachalkoi, or perhaps trichalkoi, which must have been produced at roughly the same time as the extremely rare and beautiful silver coins of the mid 4th cenury. The coins are very similar: both bear a rather serene looking head of Hera, clearly identifiable by her stephane, and a reverse with a Zeus figure seated on a pile of rocks.
A note from BCD: These rare bronzes of Gomphi are almost impossible to find complete and well struck. Their flans are nearly always short and poorly struck.