Triton XV, Lot: 210. Estimate $500. Sold for $750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Drachm (20mm, 5.91 g, 9h). [ΓΕΥ] on the nymph’s hair band, ΛΙ above the hair in tiny letters, head of the nymph Larissa three-quarter facing l., wearing necklace and pendant earring with a bead; her right shoulder with a garment clasp just visible; border of dots / ΛΑΡΙΣΑΙ in exergue, ΑΙ in tiny letters below the horse’s belly, bridled horse r. about to roll, indistinct brand mark on its haunch, its rein trailing below the exergue line. Lorber, Early, 21.1 (these dies). VF, lightly toned, a die flaw starting in the hair on the l. part of the obverse.

Ex Rauch 42 (16 January 1989) 2976, hammer AS 9000.

The writer understands that both ΛΙ and ΑΙ as well as their retrograde versions represent the same name. It does not seem correct though to alter letters to what they are supposed to be if they clearly are something else. The letters on the nymph’s hair band (ampyx) are supposed to exist on the obverse of this coin because of the die identities and this is the reason they are given in square brackets. In inscriptions, the missing letters are also given in square brackets because the complete inscription is certain to read that particular way.