Triton XV, Lot: 731. Estimate $150. Sold for $300. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Skotussa. 2nd half of the 5th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (14mm, 2.93 g, 8h). Forepart of horse r., below, И / to l., ΣK reading upwards; to r., O, germinating grain diagonally upwards; all in an incuse square. SNG Cop., 251. Near VF, lightly toned with uniform light surface etching; in obv. field r., minor deposit leftovers.

The И is repeated here but not the ΠΥ. The rare (and earliest ?) Pharsalos drachm (Nomos 4, 1283) has, in addition to the small letters AM behind the horse truncation, the same tiny И on the other side of the horse, as if the artist И was a specialist in engraving horse dies. Even more interesting is the fact that, based on this evidence and assuming the И’s are markings representing the same concept or individual, the earliest (?) Pharsalos drachms, with a ‘concave reverse field’ are contemporary to Skotussa drachms and hemidrachms with a reverse type grain in ‘incuse square’. Finally, Pelinna drachms seem to be governed by the same general concept, exhibiting the single letter (A) and a pair (IA or AI) of tiny letters on their obverses; this makes them at least near-contemporary with the Pharsalos and Skotussa drachms.