Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 1277. Estimate CHF350.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF2200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Pharsalos. Mid 5th century BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 2.98 g 7). Head of Athena to right, wearing an earring and a crested Attic helmet adorned with three coiled serpents Rev. Φ-ΑR Horse’s head to right; all within incuse square. Lavva 3, dies O2/R2. A very attractive example, though one with porous surfaces, but sharp and in high relief. Extremely fine.

The coinage of Pharsalos has been the object of an extensive study by Stella Lavva (2001), which is, alas, almost entirely wrong in its details. Many of the dies cited are misidentified and the dating is rather suspect. The dates used here are more general, and avoid the supposed accuracy of the more specific ones she uses. In any case the coinage of Pharsalos was only issued for about 100 years, between c. 450 and 344 BC.