ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. Lot of 11 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 799. Estimate $400. Sold for $2250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 11 coins.

(799.1) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. First half of the 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (13mm, 1.86 g, 6h). Head of young Dionysos r. wreathed with ivy / Π-E to l. and r., kantharos. This type not found in consulted references. Fine, dark green patina.

In spite of the wear, the head on this obverse die looks more like Dionysos than the head on the obverse of lot 797 above.

(799.2) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. First half of the 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (13mm, 2.02 g, 1h). Bearded head of Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy / Π-E to l. and r., tall and slender kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from it and hanging on either side, terminating in small bunches of grapes; above, uncertain object, probably a vine leaf. The exact type not found in consulted references. Good Fine, green patina; the reverse with some rough spots and light marks.

Acquired from Dr. Roland Maly (Nomos AG), March 1976, for CHF 150.

Same reverse die as next coin, lot 799.3.

(799.3) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. First half of the 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (13.5mm, 2.12 g, 12h). Head of young Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy / Π-E to l. and r., tall and slender kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from it and hanging on either side, terminating in small bunches of grapes; above, uncertain object, probably a vine leaf. The exact type not found in consulted references. Near VF, green patina; some rev. roughness and a hint of double striking on the foot of the kantharos but with an obverse portrait of rare finesse and appeal.

Acquired from Frank Kovacs, January 2002, for $100.

Same rev. die as the previous lot 799.2. These two die linked coins feature on their obverses two fine portraits of Dionysos, each one completely different from the other but both probably engraved by the same hand. The artist was endowed with the rare gift of being able to compress all the important features of a young and an older god in a very small space and thus create two masterful miniature portraits without the loss of any detail.

(799.4) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (14.5mm, 2.19 g, 12h). Bearded head of Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy / Π-E to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from it and ending in two small vine leaves; an ivy leaf hanging to l. and a bunch of grapes to r., above, a vine leaf; all in a circular incuse. SNG Evelpidis 1700. Good Fine, green patina with the obverse somewhat off centre and with a spot of bronze showing under the patina at the high relief point; the reverse slightly softly struck.


(799.5) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (15mm, 1.90 g, 6h). Bearded head of Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy / Π-E to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from its interior, passing over the handles and ending in two bunches of grapes hanging below; above, part of a plant composed of grain ears and fruit is also shown coming out of the vessel’s top; all in a circular incuse. Weber 2959. Good Fine, green patina; some marks on the obverse fields but well centred and struck, a pleasing coin.

The god’s portrait is on a larger scale here but the fine detail is still evident.

(799.6) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (12mm, 1.91 g, 12h). Bearded head of Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy / Π-[E] to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from its interior, passing over the handles and ending in two bunches of grapes hanging below; above, Σ; all in a circular incuse. SNG Cop. 360 corr. [the Σ above the kantharos shows on the SNG plate photograph but is not mentioned in the text]. Good Fine, green patina; surfaces a little rough.

The Dionysos portrait of this coin has something in common with the god’s portrait on the famous early tetradrachms of Sicilian Naxos (Cahn obv. die 39) but these are dated at least half a century before the earliest possible date one could assign to this Peparethos bronze.

(799.7) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (14.5mm, 2.88 g, 5h). Bearded head of Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy / Π-[E] to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from its interior, passing over the handles and curling up again in field l. and r., above, K; all in a circular incuse. The exact type not found in consulted references. Fine, dark brown patina with surface roughness, especially on the reverse, metal flaw or dig on the side of Dionysos’ face on the obverse.


(799.8) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. Late 4th to early 3rd centuries BC. Æ Chalkous (13mm, 1.51 g, 3h). Head of young Dionysos r., wreathed in ivy / Π-E to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from it and bunches of grapes hanging to l. and r. below; above, star; all in a circular incuse. Rogers 560, fig. 317 var. [ivy leaf instead of star]. Good Fine, brown patina with the bronze under it showing on the high relief parts.


(799.9) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. Late 4th to early 3rd centuries BC. Æ Chalkous (15.5mm, 1.64 g, 10h). Head of young Dionysos r., wreathed in ivy / Π-E to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from it and bunches of grapes hanging to l. and r. below; above, K; all in concave field. Rogers 560, fig. 317 var. [ivy leaf instead of K]. Good Fine, green patina with a red area on the obverse, both sides off centre and the face of Dionysos flat struck.


(799.10) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. Late 4th to early 3rd centuries BC. Æ Chalkous (15mm, 2.31 g, 12h). Head of young Dionysos r., wreathed in ivy / Π-E to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from its top and hanging to l. and r. below, culminating in grape bunches; all in a circular concave field. Rogers 560, fig. 317 var. [ivy leaf above]. Near VF, nice olive green patina; minor roughness in the middle of the obverse.


(799.11) ISLANDS off THESSALY, Peparethos. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (14mm, 2.16 g, 12h). Bearded and wreathed head of Dionysos r. / Π-E to l. and r., kantharos with vine tendrils emerging from its top, descending parallel to its handles and curling upwards at the bottom; all in a circular concave field. The exact type not found in consulted references. Good Fine, green patina with some tan spots on the obverse and a tan area to the l. of the kantharos on the reverse; irregular edges (restruck?).