THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 380-365 BC. AR Drachm (18mm, 6.06 g, 12h). Near EF.

CNG Feature Auction 132
Lot: 267. Estimated: $ 1 000

Greek, 12h, Silver

Sold For $ 1 400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 380-365 BC. AR Drachm (18mm, 6.06 g, 12h). Head of the nymph Larissa facing slightly left, grain ears in hair / Mare and foal standing right. L-S Series VI, Type A, dies O4/R1, g (this coin); Lorber, Hoard 8 (same dies); BCD Thessaly II 297; HGC 4, 444; SNG Berry 544 (same dies); McClean 4625 (same dies). Minor patches of find patina. Near EF. Better than most of the examples of middle facing head types in CoinArchives.

Ex Classical Numismatic Group inventory 760505 (October 2005).

The name Larissa derives from a proto-Greek word for “citadel” or “fortress.” One of the largest cities in Thessaly, Larissa produced a large and varied coinage beginning in the early-fifth century BC, mostly featuring the hero Thessalos wrestling a bull. Starting about 404 BC, inspired by Kimon’s Syracusan facing-head portrait of the spring nymph Arethousa, Larissa introduced a new design also featuring a facing female head, probably intended to represent a local spring nymph bearing the city’s name. The nymph heads feature on nearly all Larissan coinage, including bronzes, tiny fractions, silver drachms (by far the most numerous coins struck and surviving), and staters of two drachms. The larger staters, in particular, are closely modeled on Kimon’s Arethousa, lacking only the dolphins surrounding the portrait on the original.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session One – Lot 1-318 will be held Monday morning, 18 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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