Peirasia

Triton XV, Lot: 503. Estimate $200. Sold for $3500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Peirasia (IACP 408)

This city sits on arocky hill of white limestone and was known as Asterion, “Star”, in Homeric times. There are only very insignificant archaeological remains, primarily dating to the 5th and 4th centuries BC.

The city issued very rare silver coinage, dating to the mid 4th century BC. The equally rare bronze coinage must have been struck later in the century since its obverse type, a helmeted head of Athena, is based on that used on Alexander’s gold staters.

This offering of five different Peirasia coins can be considered exceptional; all known types in silver and bronze are included and some of them are the finest known. At present there are no coins of Peirasia in public collections except the trihemiobol and the obol of the Empedocles collection, now in the Athens cabinet and the trihemiobol at the ANS, up to now thought to be a coin of Pharsalos.

THESSALY, Peirasia. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Trihemiobol (13.5mm, 1.24 g, 5h). Head of Athena facing, turned slightly to l., wearing triple-crested Corinthian helmet, her hair in ringlets / ΠEI above l., PAΣI below, retrograde and upside down, E retrograde below l., helmeted horseman in short tunic cantering r., raising a spear with his r. Pendleton T 1 (O1/R1) b, and pl. 3, 2; also, enlarged, on pl. 4, 2A (this coin). Fine, lightly toned; surfaces a little porous and three striking edge splits but clear and one of only two known from this pair of dies; a rare coin.