Triton XV, Lot: 80. Estimate $300. Sold for $1900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Gyrton. Late 4th - early 3rd century BC. Æ Dichalkon (19.5mm, 7.24 g, 7h). Young male head facing 3/4 r., to r., monogram, all in dotted circle / ΓΥΡΤΩΝΙΩΝ from bottom l., up circular, head of nymph Gyrtone l., diademed and with pendant earring. Rogers 229, fig. 104 (same rev. die). EF, nice smooth reddish green patina.

The hairstyle of the obverse portrait on this attractive coin is rather unusual and it may give the impression that the artist was trying to engrave a specific type of head cover. However, a look at the portrait of the unique silver in Nomos 4, 1048, shows the same kind of rounded individual curls distributed over the hero’s head. There is no doubt that both artists knew exactly the “look” of the hero’s hairstyle, perhaps from a statuary prototype, and each one tried to transfer it to the die in his own manner.