Triton XV, Lot: 275. Estimate $100. Sold for $3750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.92 g, 1h). Head of the nymph Larissa r., wearing pendant earring / ΛΑΡ[Ι] above, ΠΛΕΙ in exergue, bull butting r. on ground line. Unpublished and unknown; unique (?). Near VF, lightly toned, surfaces a bit granular; the kind of coin that knocks a specialist collector’s socks off - with apologies for the expression.

Mr. ΠΛΕΙ (if we can call him that) made sure that the whole range of the most popular silver denominations was struck in his name; it would be nice if a ΠΛΕΙ stater turned up (although the assumed chronology for this fascinating series is a little too early for staters). This writer does not expect a hemiobol either as there would be no room for both the ethnic and ΠΛΕΙ on the reverse.