Koinon of Thessaly. Augustus. Lot of 2 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 914. Estimate $150. Sold for $700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 2 coins.

(914.1) THESSALY, Koinon of Thessaly. Augustus. 27 BC–AD 14. Æ Diassarion (20mm, 7.55 g, 11h). Sosandros, son of Sosandros, strategos. ΣEBAΣTOΣ ΘEΣΣAΛΩN, bare head right / ΣΩΣANΔPO ΣΩΣANΔPOY, Athena Itonia standing left, holding in her right hand Nike--who stands left, presenting wreath, resting her left hand on shield set on ground to right; spear to left, monograms flanking. Burrer Em. 1a, Series 1, 13 (A1/R13); RPC 1425. Good Fine, dark green patina, a few cleaning marks.


(914.2) THESSALY, Koinon of Thessaly. temp. Augustus. 27 BC–AD 14. Æ Diassarion (18mm, 6.22 g, 12h). Barbarous imitation. [ΣEBAΣTOΣ Θ]EΣΣAΛΩ[N], bare head right / [ΣΩ]Σ[ANΔPO ΣΩΣANΔPOY], Athena Itonia standing left, holding in her right hand Nike--who stands left, presenting wreath, resting her left hand on shield set on ground to right; spear to left, monograms flanking. For prototype, cf. Burrer Em. 1a, Series 1; cf. RPC 1425. Fine, rough green surfaces.

Purchased from John Jencek, June 2010 ($125).

This is the first, and only, barbarous imitation of a Thessalian Imperial coin that this writer has seen in his 50 years of aggressively collecting Roman Thessaly. If the person who sold it to John Jencek (from whom this collector purchased it) reads this and knows the find spot, it would be interesting to know where these rare imitations circulated.