Phalanna. Lot of 2 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 585. Estimate $150. Sold for $600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 2 coins.

(585.1) THESSALY, Phalanna. 4th century BC. Æ Dichalkon (17mm, 3.34 g, 4h). Head of nymph l., wearing pendant earring, her hair rolled up and gathered at the back of her head / ΦA-ΛANN-A-ION from above l., r. down circular, Thessalian horseman in chlamys and with petasos on his back, prancing r. Rogers 456, fig. 250 var. [differently placed legend]. Near VF, dark green patina; small die flaws below neckline on obverse.

There is a resemblance between the obverse dies of this and the next coin (lot 585.2) and some early Larissa bronze obverses but this does not mean that the same hand was involved or that they are strictly contemporary. The Phalanna issues could have been inspired by the more plentiful Larissa dichalka that undoubtedly were established and easily accepted currency throughout Thessaly and even beyond its borders.

(585.2) THESSALY, Phalanna. 4th century BC. Æ Dichalkon (16mm, 3.02 g, 11h). Head of nymph l., wearing pendant earring and plain necklace, her hair rolled up around her head; linear circle / ΦA-ΛANN-[AI]Ω-И from above l., r. down circular, Thessalian horseman in chlamys and with petasos hanging from a cord behind his head, prancing r. Rogers 456, fig. 250 var. [differently placed legend]. Near VF, dark green toning, minor surface roughness in the left part of the reverse.

The use of both omicron [O] and omega [Ω] for the city’s ethnic on essentially identical issues supports the writer’s belief that these letters interchanged freely for quite a long period and therefore any attempts to date coins based on the use of either letter are not secure.