Larissa. Lot of 6 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 376. Estimate $750. Sold for $2500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 6 coins.

(376.1) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Drachm (19mm, 5.67 g, 1h). Head of the nymph Larissa r. wearing pearl earring, her hair rolled and bound at the top of her head, border of dots / ΛΑΡΙ above, ΣΑ-Ι r. down, ИΟ below, bridled horse prancing r., its rein trailing under. See CNG e-sale 170 (8 August 2007) 45 (same dies). VF, small flan crack, dark old collection toning, a couple of tiny marks on the obv. and some equally unobtrusive die flaws on the rev. From the collection of Dr. Fenerly Bey.

Ex NFA IX (10 December 1980) 188, hammer $400; Kricheldorf [1] 15 October 1955, 286; M+M FPL 144 (March 1955) 10; Egger XLI (18 November 1912) Fenerly Bey 448.


(376.2) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Drachm (19mm, 5.94 g, 6h). Head of the nymph Larissa l. wearing pendant earring, her hair rolled and bound at the top of her head, border of dots / Λ-ΑΡΙΣΑ retrograde, from the r., up l. circular, ΙΑ below, bridled horse prancing r., all in circular incuse. CH VIII 137 and pl. XII, 3 (this coin). VF, has been cleaned, die flaw on obverse below earring, a couple of old scratches and a linear die flaw on the reverse that appears to be struck from an unrecorded die.

Same obv. die (later state) as lot 376.3.

(376.3) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Drachm (18.5mm, 6.08 g, 6h). Head of the nymph Larissa l. wearing pendant earring, her hair rolled and bound at the top of her head, border of dots / ΛΑΡΙΣ above circular, ΑΙΑ below, bridled horse prancing l., its rein trailing below, concave field. Lorber, Thessalian, p. 125, pl. 43, 66 (same dies). Near VF, lightly toned, a little granular.

Same obv. die (earlier state) as lot 376.2.

(376.4) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Drachm (19mm, 5.82 g, 9h). Head of the nymph Larissa r. wearing pearl earring, her hair raised and bound in a sakkos, border of dots / ΛΑΡΙΣΑ above circular, ΑΙ below, bridled horse prancing l., its rein trailing below, all in concave circular field. Lorber, Thessalian, p. 125, pl. 43, 62 var. (same obv. die but incuse square reverse); see also for the same pair of dies J. Schulman 8 June 1931, 113 = Sotheby’s 24 April 1907 (Delbeke) 116 and J. Hirsch XIII (15 May 1905) 1313. VF, lightly toned, surfaces slightly grainy, a few very light scratches on the obv. as well as the usual die flaw under the nymph’s chin.

Same obverse die as lot 179, but in later state.

(376.5) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Drachm (18mm, 5.85 g, 1h). Head of the nymph Larissa r. wearing pendant earring, her hair raised and bound in a sakkos, border of dots / ΛΑΡΙΣΑ above, ΙΑ below, bridled horse prancing r., its rein trailing below, all in circular incuse field. Traité IV, 695, pl. CCXCVIII, 5 (same dies); Boston MFA 893 (same dies); Pozzi (Boutin) 2768 (same dies). VF, has been cleaned and now beginning to tone; shiny surfaces, the rev. a little off centre; die flaws on obv. behind neck and on rev. as a pellet above horse’s back.


(376.6) THESSALY, Larissa. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Drachm (18.5mm, 5.84 g, 4h). Head of the nymph Larissa l. wearing pearl earring, her hair rolled and bound with a thin ribbon, border of dots / ΛΑΡΙΣΑΙ above circular, bridled horse prancing r., its rein trailing below, all in concave field. BMC p. 29, 48, pl. V, 10 (same dies). VF, has been cleaned and beginning to tone; minor weakness on the horse’s head but an attractive and well struck obverse.

A pretty head with a different hairstyle, probably the last in this parade of nymph profiles that will soon give their place to the facing head motif. This writer though believes that not only the taurokathapsia drachms were partly parallel with the nymph profiles but that some of the earliest facing heads were also struck before the mint abandoned the issuing of the two other types of drachms.