Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 1229. Estimate CHF400.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF2000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Pelinna. Mid to late 4th Century BC. Dichalkon (Bronze, 16mm, 5.32 g 12). Veiled head of Mantho to right. Rev. ΠΕΛΙΝ - ΝΑΙΩΝ Horseman with couched lance galloping to right. BMC 7. Moustaka 1998, 1. With a glossy, dark patina. A coin of excellent style. Nearly extremely fine.

Moustaka (1998) and Liampi (SNG Munich 12) date all coins of this type to the 4th century, but it seems that the situation is a bit more confused. Some of the larger coins of this type, presumably trichalka, are of such a coarse style (as Moustaka 1998, 2 and SNG Munich 138) that they simply can not possibly be 4th century and must be down dated to the 3rd century, if not the 2nd. The truly superior style of this piece makes such a late date very unlikely. In addition, the city ethnic is given as Πελινναιων, unlike all other later issues, where it appears as Πελινναειων, and that seems to indicate an earlier date as well.
A note from BCD: A lovely coin with a naturally glossy black patina that brings to mind my very early years of collecting and fond memories of a dear friend, now deceased, who deserved much better luck for the last few years of his life. Decades after the acquisition of this jewel I would continue to think of it as ‘the perfect bronze’, not really being aware of the ‘added value’ a natural green patina (see the next lot) would give to a bronze coin. Today I know better but still its image will always stay with me, as vivid as it was when I first set eyes on it and held my breath.