Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 629. Estimate $2000.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $4000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 30 different Boiotian Æ.

(a) Federal Coinage. 338-circa 300 BC. Æ 14mm (3.04 g). As lot 48.

(b) Federal Coinage. 338-circa 300 BC. Æ 14mm (2.76 g). As lot 51(a). Unpublished.

(c) Federal Coinage. 338-circa 300 BC. Æ 14mm (2.13 g). As lot 52. Unpublished.

(d) Federal Coinage. 338-circa 300 BC. Æ 13mm (1.71 g). As lot 55. SNG Cop. 181. Ex Superior 10 December 1988, lot 1899 (part).

(e) Federal Coinage. 338-circa 300 BC. Æ 13mm (1.71 g). As lot 57.

(f) Federal Coinage. 338-circa 300 BC. Æ 13mm (1.93 g). As lot 61(c).

(g) Federal Coinage. Circa 300-250 BC. Æ 12mm (2.00 g). As lot 77. BMC p. 43, 108, pl. VI, 12.

(h) Federal Coinage. 287-244 BC. Æ 21mm (7.02 g, 12h). As lot 82. SNG Cop. 376.

(i) Federal Coinage. 287-244 BC. Æ 18mm (4.87 g, 12h). As lot 85. SNG Cop. 378.

(j) Federal Coinage. 287-244 BC. Æ 17mm (4.10 g, 1h). As lot 87. BMC p. 40, 72, pl. VI, 5 corr. (letter in wreath).

(k) Federal Coinage. 220's BC. Æ (3.84 g, 6h). As lot 100. SNG Cop. 384.

(l) Federal Coinage. Circa 225-171 BC. Æ 15mm (3.58 g). As lot 145. Imhoof-Blumer, Boeotiens 33 (with line drawing). Extremely rare.

(m) Federal Coinage. Circa 225-171 BC. Æ 14mm (3.13 g). As lot 146. Imhoof-Blumer, Boeotiens 34 (with line drawing). Extremely rare.

(n) Lebadeia. 2nd century BC. Æ 15mm (2.35 g, 4h). Similar to lot 175 but the obverse is of poor style and the wreath on the reverse ties to the left. Unpublished (?) variety. Extremely rare. Ex Peiresc 25 November 1995, lot 81 (part).

(o) Orchomenos. Circa 370-364 BC. Æ 14mm (2.54 g). As lot 225. Weber 3217. Rare.

(p) Orchomenos. Circa 210 BC. Æ 12mm (1.52 g, 8h). As lot 226. BMC p. 56, 39, pl. VIII, 18. Rare.

(q) Tanagra. Early-mid 4th century BC. Æ 24mm (8.70 g). Similar to lot 307 but shield of more conventional shape and with a single line as border. Very rare.

The shape of the shield on this coin is a distinct departure from the shape that was instrumental in the dating of these very rare coins to the early part of the 4th century. This, together with the fact that their edges are obviously "Ptolemaic", i.e. bevel-shaped (which shows very clearly on this particular specimen) could throw doubts on their early dating. Could it be that these city coins are actually very late issues instead of being the earliest bronzes of Boiotia? A date within the last two decades of the third century would be supported by the increasing Ptolemaic involvment in the affairs of Greece (see also lots 611 to 616 and note after lot 226). If this scenario is adopted, an explanation will have to be found for the absence of the name of Thebes from the series.

(r) Thebes. Circa 395-338 BC. Æ 14mm (1.56 g, 9h). Pyrri-, magistrate. Struck circa 368-364 BC. As lot 524. SNG Cop. 372.

(s) Thebes. Circa 395-338 BC. Æ 13mm (1.95 g, 4h). Laan- and The-, magistrates. Struck circa 368-364 BC. As lot 525. BMC p. 85, 176.

(t) Thebes. Circa 395-338 BC. Æ 12mm (2.04 g, 9h). Thion-, magistrate. Struck circa 368-364 BC. As lot 530b. McClean 5615, pl. 202, 14.

(u) Thebes. Circa 395-338 BC. Æ 12mm (2.04 g, 9h). Theoti-, magistrate. Struck circa 363-348 BC. As lot 549(c). SNG Cop. 365.

(v) Thebes. Circa 395-338 BC. Æ 13mm (2.01 g, 3h). Aris- and Pheido-, magistrates. Struck circa 363-338 BC. As lot 563. SNG Cop. 361.

(w) Thebes. Circa 395-338 BC. Æ 13mm (1.86 g, 4h). Lykino-, magistrate. Struck circa 363-348 BC. As lot 572(a). SNG Cop. 356.

(x) Thebes. Circa 315-288 BC. Æ 12mm (2.99 g, 6h). As lot 582. SNG Cop. 373.

(y) Thebes. Circa 315-288 BC. Æ 13mm (1.78 g, 4h). Similar to lot 583 but the obverse of this coin has a smaller head, with the neck of Herakles also showing. Nevertheless, the two obverses seem to be from the same hand. Interesting. Hunterian p. 41, 14, pl. XXXIII, 4. Ex Sotheby's London 1 October 1987, lot 794 (part) [Professor James Brindley Collection].

(z) Thebes. Circa 315-288 BC. Æ 10mm (1.07 g). As lot 584(a). SNG Cop. 375. Very rare.

(aa) Thespiai. Circa 210 BC. Æ 15mm (4.10 g, 12h). As lot 611. SNG Cop. 406.

(bb) Thespiai. Circa 210 BC. Æ 15mm (4.32 g, 5h). Similar to lot 611 but Arsinoe is laureate and on the reverse the legend reads QESW - EWN (sic). Seems unpublished but see SNG Cop. 407 for a different spelling mistake.

(cc) Thespiai. Circa 210 BC. Æ 16mm (3.54 g, 5h). As lot 614(b). Unpublished variety. Ex Oslo Mynthandel 18 (14 March 1987), lot 1133 (part).

The obverse of this coin, like the obverse of lot 614(b) which is probably from the same hand, has the portrait of Arsinoe III engraved in a style that leaves no doubt about the identity of this difficult to please and unhappy Ptolemaic queen who, according to Polybius (15.25.9), "had to bear insults and humiliations all her life."

(dd) Thespiai. Circa 210 BC. Æ 11mm (1.97 g, 10h). Similar to lot 616(a) but the reverse die larger. McClean 5652, pl. 203, 15.

Coins average VF condition. Thirty (30) coins in lot. ($2000)