Kierion. Lot of 4 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 106. Estimate $200. Sold for $700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 4 coins.

(106.1) THESSALY, Kierion. Early to mid 4th century BC. Æ Dichalkon (17mm, 5.88 g, 11h). Head of Poseidon or Zeus r., laureate and bearded, surrounded by a laurel wreath / horse trotting r., Κ between its two hind legs; above, horizontal thunderbolt. Unpublished, unknown and unique (?). Good Fine, green patina with a few pits, mostly on reverse; some flatness in the strike.

The horse on the reverse would signify a connection to Poseidon but there is no trident symbol anywhere. On the other hand, the thunderbolt on the reverse is the attribute of Zeus, so if we put things to the vote, Zeus would probably win.

(106.2) THESSALY, Kierion. Early to mid 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (15mm, 2.32 g, 3h). Laureate and bearded head of Zeus r., four uncertain letters below the neckline / ΚΙΕΡΙ l. up, ΑΙΟΝ r. down, Arne, half-kneeling to her l. and playing with knucklebones to her r. Rogers 175 corr. [from what this writer has been able to make out of these four letters, Rogers’ suggestion of ΚΙΕΡ under the neckline on the obverse does not seem valid]. See also CNG e-sale 223 (2 December 2009) 87 for a die duplicate. Near VF, very dark brown patina with some pits and some flatness on the reverse.

Unfortunately neither the above CNG coin of the same dies nor this one can allow a certain reading of the four obverse letters. If this writer had to risk a guess he would suggest ΙΠΠΟ but not with any certainty.

(106.3) THESSALY, Kierion. 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (10mm, 0.99 g, 1h). Facing (female?) head, the hair spreading out in the manner of some early facing Larissa drachm dies / ΚΙΕΡΙ above, ΑΙΟΝ below, on either side of horizontal thunderbolt; concave field. Unpublished, unknown and unique (?). VF, green patina, obverse rubbed on the high points, edges rough.

One more ‘unknown’ surprise from this mint of varied and unpredictable output. The letter forms as well as its size and general appearance would suggest an early rather than a later 4th century issue.

(106.4) THESSALY, Kierion. 4th - 3rd centuries BC. Æ Chalkous (12mm, 1.64 g, 6h). Diademed (and laureate?) head of Zeus r. / Κ-Ι, bunch of grapes hanging from curved horizontal branch. Appears to be unpublished, but see CNG 85 (15 September 2010) 327 (as Rhizos). VF, brown patina with some bronze highlights.

This coin is similar to the Karthaian issues of the same type (see Papageorgiadou - Banis p. 97, series VI). However, the letters on the reverse here are clearly Κ and Ι and therefore the attribution to Kierion is preferred, also on grounds of provenance.