Triton XV, Lot: 143. Estimate $200. Sold for $2250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Tetartemorion (6.5mm, 0.18 g, 11h). Archaic Α, the left end of its horizontal hasta lower than the right end, border of dots / Λ, in an incuse square. Unpublished, unknown and unique (?). Good VF, very lightly toned and good metal for its size, a striking edge split at 2 o’clock on the obverse.

One of the three known Thessalian tetartemoria (quarter obols), the other two being from Pharkadon (lot 612 in this auction) and from Pharsalos (lot 637 in this auction). One cannot but marvel at the inventiveness and the common sense of the early die cutters and mint officials when it came to miniaturization and wonders if there was a reason for placing the first letter of the ethnic on the reverse rather than on the obverse as an official of our times would do.