Triton XV, Lot: 693. Estimate $500. Sold for $9500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Pherai. 4th century BC. AR Obol (11mm, 0.83 g, 10h). Head of Ennodia r., wearing pendant earring and pearl necklace; before her, flaming torch / ΦEPAI-ΩN above circular, head of a dog r. See Nomos 4, 1318 (different dies but from the same hand). VF, lightly toned with some surface roughness between 3 and 6 o’clock on the obverse; the second known example of a charming, irresistible coin.

ASW calls this dog a mastiff and it is well known in the numismatic circles that he is very knowledgeable when it comes to dog breeds, especially Scotties. The writer would just add that the dog’s ears on the two known coins of this type look clipped; do we have any information about the ancients clipping the ears of their dogs?