Triton XV, Lot: 647. Estimate $200. Sold for $2000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Pharsalos. Circa 400 BC. AR Hemidrachm (15mm, 3.09 g, 2h). Head of Athena r., wearing crested Attic helmet / Φ-AP to r., from above, downwards, head and neck of horse r., in concave circular field. Lavva 47 a (V29/R24a) (this coin). Good VF, toned, nicely centred and struck, an appealing specimen.

Ex Spink’s Numismatic Circular, (October 1970) 10865, bought for £ 75.

It appears to this writer that the horse’s protome on this reverse die has a loose necklace made out of a cord or ribbon hanging from its neck, with some kind of small pendant attached to it further down. This “good luck charm” is not an unusual accessory to most of today’s horses and it is therefore not surprising to see it appropriately engraved on an ancient “horse” coin as well.