Larissa. Lot of 4 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 361. Estimate $300. Sold for $1000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 4 coins.

(361.1) THESSALY, Larissa. Last quarter of 5th century BC. AR Obol (12mm, 0.86 g, 12h). Horse walking l., above, lion’s head l. / ΙΣ l. up, no other letters visible, the nymph Larissa to l., balancing hydria on her raised r. knee; behind her, fountain spout in the form of a lion’s head to l. from which pours water. This variety not found in consulted literature. Near VF, lightly toned, obverse rough and off centre, a very rare variety with the reverse to l.

Acquired from Baldwin’s, October 1990, for £ 45.


(361.2) THESSALY, Larissa. Last quarter of 5th century BC. AR Obol (11mm, 0.92 g, 3h). Horse walking l., border of dots / Λ central above, A l. up at an angle, RI retrograde down to l., the nymph Larissa to l., balancing hydria on her raised r. knee; behind her, fountain spout in the form of a lion’s head to l. from which pours water. This variety not found in consulted literature. Near VF, lightly toned, obverse field rough, the beginning of a die flaw in the centre of the reverse; a rare variety.

Same obverse die as lot 361.3 below. The reverse die flaw of this coin seems to be present in all the specimens of this reverse die that have been examined up to now.

(361.3) THESSALY, Larissa. Last quarter of 5th century BC. AR Obol (11mm, 1.01 g, 12h). Horse walking l., border of dots / Λ-[Α] above, RI to r. down, the nymph Larissa standing r. and balancing one-handled hydria on her raised left knee; behind her, fountain spout in the form of a lion’s head r. from which pours water; all in shallow incuse square. See Lanz 97 (22 May 2000) 218 (same dies). VF, toned, surfaces a little rough, a few scattered small knocks, mostly on the obverse.

Same obverse die as lot 361.2 above.

(361.4) THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 400 BC. AR Obol (12mm, 0.65 g, 1h). Horse prancing l., circle of dots / Λ-Α above, Ρ r. down, [I] in field l., the nymph Larissa to r., her l. leg raised, bending down to hydria with both arms extended, all in shallow incuse square. This variety not found in consulted literature. Near VF, toning a little patchy, especially on the obverse; small gouge on nymph’s head and a trace of double striking on her back.

No reference has been found for this reverse variety combined with a horse prancing l. on the obverse. The composition of the reverse is missing a step on which the nymph could rest her foot; the difficulty in sculpting it with the right perspective was probably the reason for the next die of this type to have the nymph’s foot resting on the letter Ρ.