Trikka. Lot of 4 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 776. Estimate $300. Sold for $600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 4 coins.

(776.1) THESSALY, Trikka. 2nd half of the 5th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (17mm, 2.66 g, 9h). Youthful hero, Thessalos, naked but for cloak and petasos over his shoulders, holding a band with both hands below the horns of the forepart of a bull leaping r., border of dots / TP-IK-K-AIOИ from above l., to r., down and circular, the A upside down, forepart of horse prancing r., all in shallow incuse square. This die combination not found in references consulted. VF, lightly toned; fields slightly porous; rev. die flaw at horse’s truncation.


(776.2) THESSALY, Trikka. 2nd half of the 5th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (17mm, 2.86 g, 3h). Youthful hero, Thessalos, naked but for cloak and petasos over his shoulders, holding a band with both hands below the horns of the forepart of a bull leaping r., border of dots / TPI-KK-AIO-И from below l., to r., up and circular retrograde, the first two letters upside down, forepart of bridled horse prancing r., in field r. and below, graffiti A-ΛΣΙ retrograde; all in shallow incuse square. Pozzi (Boutin) 2883. Good VF, toned; a very shallow minor cut on the horse’s side.


(776.3) THESSALY, Trikka. 2nd half of the 5th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (modern copy) (17mm, 2.73 g, 9h). Youthful hero, Thessalos, naked but for cloak and petasos over his shoulders, holding a band with both hands below the horns of the forepart of a bull leaping r., border of dots / TPI-KK-AIO-И from below l., to r., up and circular retrograde, the first two letters upside down, forepart of bridled horse prancing r., all in circular concave field. SNG Evelpidis 1620 (same obv. die ?). Near VF, toned; a few light scratches, mostly on the obverse.

Ex Auctiones 15 (18 September 1985) 94, hammer CHF 1100.

Both dies of this coin seem as if they have been copied from the previous coin, 772.2. They are very close, but not the same. Cause for suspicion...

(776.4) THESSALY, Trikka. 2nd half of the 5th century BC. AR Hemidrachm (modern copy) (16.5mm, 2.75 g, 6h). Youthful hero, Thessalos, naked but for cloak and petasos over his shoulders, holding a band with both hands below the horns of the forepart of a bull leaping r., border of dots / TPI-KK-AIO-И from below l., to r., up and circular retrograde, the first two letters upside down, forepart of bridled horse prancing r., all in concave circular field. This die combination not found in references consulted. VF, toned; surface exhibits slight porosity.

This is another coin that is too close to 772.2 - too close for comfort! The verdict of this writer is that both 772.3 and 772.4 are modern forgeries made from copying a genuine coin that was struck by the same pair of dies as 772.2. It is a good thing that 772.2 was now available for comparison, otherwise the writer may have not recognized the fakes, just as when he bid and obtained 772.3 from the Auctiones sale without looking at it twice (and without having the genuine coin handy for on the spot comparison).