Thessalian League. Lot of 9 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 22. Estimate $500. Sold for $800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 9 coins.

(22.1) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Hemidrachm (12mm, 2.83 g, 12h). Forepart of horse l., border of dots / Θ-Ε, wheat grain in incuse square, small square skew counterstamp. Franke, Geschicte and plate on p. 87, 12 var. [rev. letters transposed]. Near Fine, dark, uneven toning.

Ex Karl Kress 156 (2 April 1973) 220, hammer DM 135.


(22.2) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Hemidrachm (14mm, 2.73 g, 5h). Forepart of horse r. / ΘΕ-ΤΑ, wheat grain in incuse square. McClean 4692, pl. 175, 23. VF, dark toning in the recesses over a slightly porous surface.

Ex Spink’s Numismatic Circular, December 1980, no. 10, £ 495 .


(22.3) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.87 g, 10h). Head and neck of horse, of unusual style, l.; on neck, brand mark / Θ-Ε, wheat grain in incuse square. Franke, Geschicte, pl. on p. 87, 13 var. See also Weber 2918 var. and SNG Ashmolean 3785 var. [style of horse differs, and there is no obv. brand mark]. VF, toned, slightly granular, with an edge split and a small scratch on obverse.

The brand mark on this unusual obol seems to be the same as that on the obv. of lot 4 above. This means that there is a certain meaning to this combination of letters - whatever they may be - rather than the marking being the whim or even the signature of a particular engraver. For obverses of similar style see Nomos 4, 1201 and lot 463.2 below.

(22.4) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Obol (11mm, 0.90 g, 6h). Head and neck of horse r., on its neck, Γ / ΘΕ-ΤΑ, wheat grain in incuse square. Nomos 4, 1005 var. [the horse here is not bridled and there is a Γ on its neck]. See also CNG e-sale 252 (23 March 2011) 63 but with the Γ on the horse’s neck not visible. VF, toned, slight porosity.


(22.5) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Obol (8.5mm, 0.60 g, 4h). Head and neck of bridled horse r. / ΘΕ-ΤΑ, wheat grain in incuse square. Franke, Geschicte, 9 and pl. on p. 87, 10. Nomos 4, 1005. Good VF, obverse slightly off-centre, lightly toned.


(22.6) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Hemiobol (6.5mm, 0.36 g, 11h). Head and neck of horse r. / Θ-Ε, wheat grain in incuse square. Fine, toned. The obverse shows signs of overstriking.


(22.7) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Hemiobol (7mm, 0.32 g, 11h). Head and neck of horse r. / Θ-Ε, wheat grain in incuse square. Near VF, lightly toned.


(22.8) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Hemiobol (7mm, 0.32 g, 12h). Head and neck of horse r. / ΘΕ-ΘΑ, wheat grain in incuse square. Near VF, slightly uneven toning.

It seems as if the part of the rev. die corresponding to half the length of the grain was filled on to make room for the letters Φ and Ε to be engraved so that the complete inscription would show on the coin.

(22.9) THESSALY, Thessalian League. Circa 470s-460s BC. AR Hemiobol (5.5mm, 0.37 g, 4h). Head and neck of horse r. / ΘΕ r. down, inwards, ʘΑ l. up, outwards, wheat grain diagonally upwards in incuse square. This orientation of legend not found in consulted references. Near VF, lightly toned, obv. not perfectly centred; rare.