Kierion. Lot of 3 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 105. Estimate $150. Sold for $190. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 3 coins.

(105.1) THESSALY, Kierion. Early to mid 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (16mm, 2.91 g, 12h). Head of Zeus r., with a short, neatly trimmed beard and a fillet binding his hair / ΚΙΕΡΙΕ-[ΙΩΝ], the nymph Arne, her torso bare, half-kneeling to her l., her head turned to r. and playing with knucklebones. SNG Evelpidis 1516; see also Nomos 4, 1068 (same rev. die); CNG e-sale 205 (25 February 2009) 87 and e-sale 202 (14 January 2009) 39. VF, brown patina with brassy highlights.

Ex Spink’s Numismatic Circular, December 1978, 14098 for £ 72.

Until the die study of this very interesting mint takes place, we cannot be sure if the remaining half of the ethnic was actually engraved on the other side of this die and on the reverse dies of some other early Kierion bronzes.

(105.2) THESSALY, Kierion. Early to mid 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (15mm, 2.83 g, 9h). Bearded head of Zeus l., his hair rolled up to resemble a wide headband / ΚΙΕΡΙ r. up outwards, the nymph Arne, half-kneeling to her l. on the exergue line, her head turned to her r., and playing with knucklebones on her r. with her r. hand. Traité IV, 516, pl. CCXC, 4 = NC 1899, p. 91, 5 and pl. VIII, 3 (same obv. die); Rogers 174, fig. 73 corr. [Rogers refers to NC 1890 instead of the correct 1899]. VF, dark green patina with some corrosion in the fields, especially on the left side of the reverse.


(105.3) THESSALY, Kierion. Early to mid 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (11mm, 0.94 g, 8h). Bearded and laureate head of Zeus l., Κ and Ι in field l. and r., vertical thunderbolt further out in field r. / ΠΟ l. up, Arne, half-kneeling to her l. and playing with knucklebones to her r. Rogers 176 ? [Rogers is relying on the description of a coin in J. Hirsch XXV (29 November 1909) 591 that seems to match this coin]. Good VF, green patina with some corrosion marks and pits.

The two discernible letters on the reverse of this coin add one more “pebble” to the puzzle of the bronze sold in CNG MBS 85 (15 September 2010) 317 without, however, solving it. The letters now should read ΠΟ[Λ?] ... l. up and ...ΝΤΙΣ r. down. This writer had a good look at the web photograph of the above coin and, without being 100% certain, thinks that the third letter upwards could be an Λ. Any ideas out there for the complete epithet of the nymph? And what about the owner of the CNG coin? Can you confirm that the third letter upwards is indeed an Λ? Or is it a reversed Ν? Thanks, EJP, for whatever you can do.