Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 67. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $190. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

BOIOTIA, Federal Coinage. Circa 304-294 BC. AR Hemidrachm (2.64 g). Boiotian shield / Amphora; A-P across lower field; all within incuse square. Head, Boeotia, p. 57, (a); cf. Traité III 293, pl. CCII, 31; McClean 5529, pl. 200, 8. VF, even grey tone. Well struck and centered for issue. Very rare. ($300)

Ex Schulten 11 April 1988, lot 103.

Babelon in his Traité classified this obviously late coin amongst the archaic pieces of Haliartos. On his plate which illustrates the off centre Berlin specimen, it is not clear if the letter on the right is R or P. Our piece is unfortunately of a different reverse die so the question remains open. Nevertheless, it is clear that these rare hemidrachms are not archaic but belong to the final years of the fourth century. For a general overview of the Haliartos coinage see R. Ashton in NumChron (1995) pp. 11-17; NumChron (1997) pp. 188-189, and NumChron (2000) pp. 93-97 where he also effectively counters arguments recently put forward that the coinage was in fact issued by Hyettos and not Haliartos.