Extremely Rare Civic Issue of Olosson

311, Lot: 218. Estimate $150. Sold for $1700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THESSALY, Olosson. Circa 400-350 BC. Æ (16mm, 4.93 g, 12h). Rider, wearing petasos and chlamys, on horse prancing right / OΛOΣΣ[O]–N, Zeus Keraunios advancing right, with chlamys over shoulders, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, eagle perched on left arm. BCD Thessaly I 1218 (same obv. die; hammer of CHF 4000). Near VF, dark brown patina, light roughness. Of the highest rarity, perhaps only the third known.

From the BCD Collection.

Olosson served as the mint city of the Perrhaiboi, striking their extensive coinage in addition to this extremely rare civic issue, which must have been struck on some special occasion that is unknown to us. A variety with the abbreviated legend OΛO was offered in BCD Thessaly II, lot 495, which fetched $600.

A note from BCD from the Nomos sale: The discovery of this coin in the name of the Olossonians was one of the highlights of my collecting experience. To acquire a totally new coin type with a new legend that makes sense at first glance is indeed a treat for the specialized collector.