Larissa. Lot of 3 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 398. Estimate $150. Sold for $400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 3 coins.

(398.1) THESSALY, Larissa. First century BC. Æ Tetrachalkon (22.5mm, 8.05 g, 8h). Head of the nymph Larissa to l., her hair tied up in a short pony tail; to r. monogram / ΛΑ-ΡΙ above, ΣΑΙΩΝ below, horseman wearing Thessalian helmet and holding lance horizontally, galloping r. Not in consulted reference literature. Good Fine, medium brown patina with some marks, mostly on the reverse.

This must be one of the latest issues of the mint; the obv. iconography is inspired from Rogers fig. 152 whereas the rev. resembles Rogers fig. 153.

(398.2) THESSALY, Larissa. First century BC (the countermarks 1st or 2nd centuries AD?). Æ Tetrachalkon (20.5mm, 9.64 g, 10h). Head of the nymph Larissa to l., her hair tied up in a short pony tail; to r. monogram; countermark wheat ear over earlier countermark owl / [Λ]Α-ΡΙ above, ΣΑΙΩ[Ν] below, horseman wearing Thessalian helmet and holding lance horizontally, galloping r. Not in consulted reference literature. Near Fine, counterrmark is Fine, brown patina with some bronze showing on the higher relief areas.

The condition of the undertype both confirms its 1st century BC date and also indicates that the countermarks were applied during Roman times. It also shows that the owl preceded the wheat ear although we can only guess at their meaning and the circumstances of their application. Another thing also becomes clear: worn bronze autonomous coins were still circulating alongside the Thessalian Roman Provincial issues, although their value was probably reduced to a fraction of those with the Emperor’s portraits.

(398.3) THESSALY, Larissa. First century BC (the countermarks 1st or 2nd centuries AD?). Æ Tetrachalkon (21mm, 8.34 g, 9h). Head of the nymph Larissa to l., her hair tied up in a short pony tail; [to r. monogram]; countermark wheat ear and a banker’s mark (?) of a floral ornament (?) applied near the edge of the coin / ΛΑ-Ρ-Ι above, ΣΑΙ[ΩΝ] below, horseman wearing Thessalian helmet and holding lance horizontally, galloping r. Not in consulted reference literature. Near Fine, green patina with light roughness in a few spots.

As far as this writer is aware, a banker’s (?) mark of this type is not known to occur on other Thessalian coins.