Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 36. Estimate $200.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

BOIOTIA, Federal Coinage. Circa 395-340 BC. AR Tetartemorion (0.20 g). Boiotian shield / Grape bunch on vine; above, club right (engraved in die over vine); B to left; all within incuse circle. VF, even grey tone, minor porosity. Well centered. A chronologically significant re-engraving of a Theban die with a horizontal club above. Unique and important. ($200)

The reverse die of a tetartemorion like lot 453 below was obviously here re-engraved to change a Theban kantharos into Boiotian grapes. Small fractions usually precede larger coins and especially stater issues and are struck intermittently and for longer periods. However it appears that in this case the issue of these rare Boiotian grape reverse fractions was short-lived and more or less parallel to the BO-IW staters. A refined date for them would therefore be circa 395-387 BC. This coin also confirms that at least the earliest Federal issues were struck at Thebes and that, during the Corinthian war, it was in the interest of Thebes to appear as if she was acting on behalf of all Boiotia.