Pharsalos. Lot of 3 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 668. Estimate $300. Sold for $1000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 3 coins.

(668.1) THESSALY, Pharsalos. Early 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (18.5mm, 3.06 g, 8h). Head of Athena r., wearing crested Attic helmet with raised cheek flaps and adorned with scrolls and olive twigs; her hair escaping under the neck cover and tied in a bunch / Φ-A above to l. and r., Σ-P retrograde to l. and r. below, horse’s head and neck r. in shallow incuse square with rounded corners. Lavva 74 a (V38/R43) (this coin). VF, lightly toned; rev. softly struck and with some lower l. roughness between 6 and 9 o’clock; obv. with some edge roughness between 8 and 9 o’clock; fully struck on a large flan; an impressive obverse die.


(668.2) THESSALY, Pharsalos. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (15mm, 2.89 g, 11h). Head of Athena r., wearing crested Attic helmet with raised cheek flaps and adorned with scroll and olive twig; her hair freely escaping under the neck cover; behind her neck TH in small letters / Φ-[A] above to l. and r., Σ-P upside down to l. and r. below, horse’s head and neck r. in concave field. Lavva 114 (V54/R65) (these dies). VF, lightly toned; a couple of light scratches on obv. in field r. under the chin, traces of die rust in the ear and mouth; the rev. slightly off centre.

The obverse die is signed by the artist Telephantos and the die rust indicates that it was a coveted die that was kept for a long time, to be used again when it became necessary to strike a new batch of hemidrachms.

(668.3) THESSALY, Pharsalos. Early to mid 4th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (15mm, 3.01 g, 12h). Head of Athena r., wearing pendant earring and crested Attic helmet with raised cheek flaps, adorned with scrolls and olive twig; her hair freely escaping under the neck cover; behind her neck TH-[IΠ] in small letters / Φ-[A] above to l. and r., Σ-P retrograde to l. and r. below, horse’s head and neck r. in concave field. Lavva 121 (V57/R69) (these dies). VF, lightly toned; edge deposits on the rev. between 9 and 12 o’clock.