Thebai. Lot of 5 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 763. Estimate $200. Sold for $1600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 5 coins.

(763.1) THESSALY, Thebai. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (13mm, 1.88 g, 1h). Veiled head of Demeter l., wearing grain wreath; all within border of dots / ʘH in wreath tying below. Not in Rogers; see SNG Fitzwilliam 4029 for erroneous attribution to Thera; see J. Hirsch FPL XVII (February 1907) 1453 var. [legend retrograde] for correct attribution; see also Nomos 4, 1350. Near VF, dark brown patina; extremely rare, one of few known.


(763.2) THESSALY, Thebai. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (13mm, 1.68 g, 7h). Veiled head of Demeter l., wearing grain wreath; all within border of dots / Hʘ in wreath tying below. Not in Rogers; see J. Hirsch FPL XVII (February 1907) 1453. Near VF, yellowish brown patina, extremely rare, perhaps the second known of this variety.


(763.3) THESSALY, Thebai. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (12.5mm, 1.43 g, 5h). Veiled head of Demeter l., wearing grain wreath; all within border of dots / ʘ[H] l. up, Seirios, the dog star, in the form of a dog’s head and neck r., with rays around it; below, monogram. Unpublished and unknown. Near VF, green patina; obv. marginally off centre, rev. a little softly struck.

This is the first of three coins that are essentially the same type but complement one another so that the attribution is secure. Seirios has always been associated with midsummer heat: Wet your lungs with wine; the dogstar Seirios is coming round, the season is harsh, everything is thirsty under the heat, the cicada sings sweetly from the leaves... Alcaeus, fragment 347.

(763.4) THESSALY, Thebai. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (11mm, 1.72 g, 3h). Veiled head of Demeter l., wearing grain wreath; all within border of dots / ʘH l. up, Seirios, the dog star, in the form of a dog’s head and neck r., with rays around it; below, monogram (partly off flan). Unpublished and unknown. Near VF, dark green patina; obv. off centre on a small flan.

The H of ʘH is there but it is missing its middle stroke and therefore appears as additional rays around the dog.

(763.5) THESSALY, Thebai. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (11mm, 2.08 g, 7h). Veiled head of Demeter l., wearing grain wreath / ʘH l. up, Seirios, the dog star, in the form of a dog’s head and neck r., with rays around it; below, monogram (here off flan). Unpublished and unknown. Fine, green patina; both sides flat struck and marginally off centre.

This coin was added to the group because, in spite of it being flat struck, the ethnic ʘH is very clear on its reverse