Sale: CNG 78, Lot: 481. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 14 May 2008.  Sold For $470. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 196-27 BC. AR Stater (6.07 g, 12h). Hegesaretos, magistrate. Struck circa 63-49 BC. Head of Zeus right, wearing laurel wreath / Athena Itonia advancing right; above spear, AP-NIA between two stars; monogram to inner right, HΓHΣAPETOΣ in exergue. McClean -; SNG Copenhagen -; BMC -; Klose, Chronologie -; Winterthur 1727 var. (second monogram). EF, toned, light porosity. Fine compact style. Extremely rare issue.

From Collection C.P.A.

Hegesaretos of Larissa was a prominent Thessalian who was a partisan of Pompey. Other than that he was active in the years 63-49 BC, little is known of him today. He was mentioned by both Caesar and Cicero (Caes., BC III, 35, 2, and Cic., Ad. fam., XVI, 25), and his name appears on a few of these Thessalian League staters. The present issue is significant in that it only mentions Hegesaretos’ name alone; the upper legend on the reverse is certainly not a name, but its meaning is unknown. (See also B. Helly. “Le groupe des monnaies fédérales thessaliennes avec Athéna aux pompons,” RN 1966, pp. 7-32).