Hypata

Triton XV, Lot: 94. Estimate $750. Sold for $25000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Hypata (IACP 420)

The major city of the Ainianes was Hypata, which was where coinage in the name of the Ainianes, the people of Ainis, was struck. There are some archaeological remains there, but none of particular importance. Hypata had been in the Aitolian League since 302 BC and suffered damage from the Romans in 191 BC; it had left the League by 168 BC and was joined to Thessaly by Augustus in 27 BC. It was prosperous in Roman times and was the seat of a Christian bishopric. Later it became known as Neai Patrai and was an important medieval city; it is now the modern town of Ypati.

THESSALY, Hypata. Early to mid 4th century BC. Æ Dichalkon (19mm, 5.80 g, 12h). Head of Zeus r. bearded and laureate, vertical thunderbolt behind (here off flan); border of dots / ΥΠΑ l. up, Τ above l., Α above r., ΙΩΝ r. down, Athena helmeted and in long robes standing l., holds Nike in r. and rests her l. hand on shield that stands next to her; her spear is held transversely under her l. arm. Rogers 267 (same reverse die). Good VF, green patina with some surface breaks; an excessively rare coin.

Rogers did not have any coins of Hypata in his collection and called them extremely rare. This is an understatement. Hypata bronzes are by far the rarest of all Thessalian coins; none has ever been offered at auction and in the opinion of this writer, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire one.