THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 365-356 BC. AR Hemidrachm (14.5mm, 2.87 g, 8h). Near VF.

Electronic Auction 549
Lot: 64. Estimated: $ 100

Greek, Silver

Sold For $ 90. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 365-356 BC. AR Hemidrachm (14.5mm, 2.87 g, 8h). Head of the nymph Larissa right, wearing earring / Bridled horse standing left, preparing to lie down; plant below, ΠΛE[I] in exergue. BCD Thessaly II 273; HGC 4, 465. Toned, minor pitting on obverse. Near VF.

Ex BCD Collection (Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 427, 22 August 2018), lot 152.

From BCD Thessaly II: The ΠΛEI drachms and their fractions constitute an intriguing departure from the mainstream material that comes after the Early facing heads. Their date must precede most, if not all, Middle and Late facing types, also because all fractions have their obverse in profile. The size of the letters precludes the possibility that they are an artist’s signature and if there was a mint in Thessaly starting with these letters, it could be claimed that they are a joint issue. Perhaps they are a special group minted for a particular purpose and subsidized by a rich sponsor whose name starts with these letters. Thomas R. Martin, in his article “The Chronology of the Fourth-Century B.C. Facing Head Coinage of Larissa,” in Museum Notes 28 (1983), p. 31-32, esp. notes 108 and 109, conjures up a Tyrant (archon) whose name did not come down to us and who seized power in Larissa for a short time, around 375 BC. It would be nice if an inscription was found that confirms this theory but for the time being, as Martin himself admits, it can only be speculation.

Closing Date and Time: 1 November 2023 at 10:21:00 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.