Larissa. Lot of 3 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 362. Estimate $300. Sold for $1000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 3 coins.

(362.1) THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 400 BC. AR Trihemiobol (14mm, 1.33 g, 6h). Horseman, wearing petasos and chlamys, prancing l. on ground line and holding two spears; border of dots / Λ-Α to l. and r., below them, Ρ-Ι , the nymph Larissa, seated to r. on a chair, the back of which terminates in a swan’s head, her r. hand raised and throwing a ball, her l. holds a hoop below; all in a shallow incuse square with rounded edges and concave field. Traité IV, 672, pl. CCXCVII, 6. VF, somewhat unevenly toned and with light porosity.


(362.2) THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 400 BC. AR Trihemiobol (14.5mm, 1.38 g, 6h). ΤΟ in small letters below, horseman, wearing petasos and chlamys, prancing l. on ground line and holding two spears; border of dots hardly showing / ΛΑ above r., Ρ to r. and below, downwards, Ι to l., the nymph Larissa, seated to r. on a chair, the back of which terminates in a swan’s head, her r. hand raised and throwing a ball, her l. holds a hoop below; all in a shallow incuse square with rounded edges and concave field. Good Fine, lightly toned; some corrosion in obverse field at 4 to 6 o’clock and on nymph’s face on the reverse.

Acquired from Spink’s in London, December 1988, for £ 115.

The hoop here is shown decorated rather than plain. It is possible that there were moving elements fastened to its circumference so that a noise would be heard every time it moved. Such hoops are quite popular today for the tingling sound they produce and are in use as background noise instruments in many Balkan musical troupes.

(362.3) THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 400 BC. AR Trihemiobol (14mm, 1.37 g, 3h). horseman, wearing petasos and chlamys, prancing l. and holding a spear; border of dots / ΛΑΡΙΣΑ r. down, the nymph Larissa, seated to r. on a chair and arranging her hair while looking at a mirror she holds with her l. hand; all in a shallow incuse square with rounded edges. SNG Ashmolean 3868; Traité IV, 678, pl. CCXVII, 11; BMC p. 28, 39, pl. V, 5. Near VF, toned; small scratch on reverse at 3 o’clock. Obverse very slightly off centre.

Acquired from Spink’s in London, December 1988, for £ 160.

In contrast to the other reverses, this one seems to record a scene that takes place indoors. There is a rather elaborate cover on the chair and the nymph is wearing an elegant dress and a drop earring. Perhaps the artist is alluding to a scene from real life, like preparing for a dance or a special occasion. The coin is probably a die duplicate to the coins mentioned in the three references above but the quality of the photographs and the various states of the die flaws do not allow a definite opinion. See also Imhoof-Blumer, Nymphen und Chariten auf Griechischen Münzen, JIAN XI (1908), p. 70, 191 and pl. V, 23 (same reverse die).