Dramma della Tessaglia con raffigurazione frontale di Aleuas

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Obolo di Larissa (CNG 81).

“Larissa Drives the Lane”

THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 460-440 BC. AR Obol (0.99 g, 3h). Horse standing right / The nymph Larissa advancing right, bouncing ball to right; all within incuse square. Hermann Group II, pl. I, 17; Liampi, Larissa 13-4 var. (rev. type left); Moustaka -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG München -; Pozzi 1210; W. Wroth, “Select Greek Coins in the British Museum” in NC 1905, p. 333 and pl. XIV, 19. Good VF. Very rare, and exceptional for issue.

 

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Dramma di Larissa (Triton VIII).

THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 500-479 BC. AR Drachm (5.87 gm, 11h). Horse grazing left; cicada above / AR-SAION, sandal of Jason left within incuse square. Herrmann Group I, pl. I, 3 = Traité pl. XLIII, 3 = BMC Thessaly pg. 24, 2 (same reverse die); SNG Copenhagen -. Good VF, light porosity. Very rare and exceptional for issue. ($2500)

 

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Dichalkon di Atrax (Nomos 3 & 4, Lot).

THESSALY, Atrax. Circa 360s-340s BC (or later?). Dichalkon (Bronze, 15mm, 2.73 g 11). Bearded head of Atrax to right. Rev. ΑΤΡΑ / ΓΙΩΝ Bull, with head lowered, butting to right. Cf. Rogers 160. Rare. Minor die break on the obverse, otherwise, an exceptional coin with a superb green patina and lovely style. Good extremely fine.

Precisely when this coin should be dated is not really clear. The wonderful style points towards the 4th century, but it could well be later. Perhaps it should be placed at the end of the 4th century?

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Statere di Pherae (NAC 106).

Greek Coins 
Thessalia, Pherae. Stater circa 302-286, AR 11.31 g. Head of nymph Hipereia r., wearing wreath of reeds, triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace; behind, lion spout with water pouring from its jaws. Rev. Ennodia, draped and holding torch in both hands, seated facing, head r., on horse galloping r.; in upper l. field, ΑΣΤ / ΟΜΕ / ΔΟΝ within wreath and, in exergue, ΦΕΡΑΙΟΥΝ. Traité IV, 606 and pl. CCXCIV (this reverse die). BCD Thessaly I 1320 (this coin). BCD Thessaly part II 712 (these dies).
Of the highest rarity, only five specimens known. A lovely portrait of fine
Hellenistic style, lovely light iridescent tone and good very fine
Ex Nomos sale 4, 2011, BCD Thessaly, 1320.
Pherai was one of the oldest cities of Thessaly situated in the region of Pelasgiotis. It’s fame stretched back to the age of myth, when Herakles aided Admetos, the king of Pherai in rescuing his wife Alcestis from Hades. In a selfless act of love, Alcestis had volunteered to take the place of Admetos in death in order that her husband might live forever. Herakles, seeing what a grievous blow the loss of his wife was to Admetos and desirous of repaying the past hospitality of the king of Pherai undertook the dangerous journey to return Alcestis from the Underworld. In the fifth century B.C. Pherai was often allied with Athens, but as the Peloponnesian War (441-404 B.C.) drew to a close the government of the city was seized by a certain Lykophron, who established himself as tyrant (ca. 406-390 B.C.) and embarked on a series of struggles with Larissa for dominance in Thessaly. His successor, Jason of Pherai (390-370 B.C.), was powerful enough to influence the peace settlement between Thebes and Sparta following the Battle of Leuktra (371 B.C.) and his mercenary army was poised to exert Thessalian hegemony over all of mainland Greece when Jason was assassinated. The tyrants of who followed lacked the gifts and vision of Jason, and Pherai, with the rest of Thessaly, ultimately fell under the domination of Philip II of Macedon. Although this stater was struck after the end of the great tyrants of Pherai and Thessalian independence, its types represent traditional deities of the city. The obverse depicts the local Pheraian fountain nymph, Hyperaia, clearly identified by the lion’s head spout pouring water behind her head. Also local in flavor is the reverse type, which features Ennodia, a specifically Pheraian deity. Ennodia, whose name literally means ”by the roadside” was a terrifying goddess of the roadside and the dead, whose power was regularly invoked by witches and necromancers. The cult of Ennodia spread throughout Thessaly under Jason of Pherai until she was recognized as a national Thessalian deity as much as a local Pheraian one.

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La dramma al post # 27 fa parte della serie della prima monetazione della Tessaglia dal titolo “Sandalo di Giasone” in quanto caratterizzata dalla raffigurazione di un sandalo in incuso sul rovescio, presente anche sulle emidramme e sugli oboli.

 Esemplare della dramma ‘cicala’ battuto alla Triton XV.

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Drachm (17mm, 5.06 g, 12h). Horse with lowered head, grazing l. on dotted ground line, above, cicada l., all in dotted circle / ΛΑRΙ

 

Questa monetazione è connessa con il mito di Giasone, il mitico eroe greco figlio di Esone re di Iolco, che fu a capo della spedizione degli Argonauti. Secondo Ιa versione più comune della leggenda, Esone, quando fu spodestato dal fratellastro Pelia, per salvare Giasone lo mandò presso il centauro Chirone, dal quale fu allevato. Giunto ai 20 anni, Giasone tornò a richiedere la signoria di Iolco indossando uno strano costume: una pelle di pantera sulle spalle, una lancia in ogni mano e il piede sinistro senza calzare. Pelia, spaventato perché un oracolo gli aveva detto di guardarsi dall’uomo che avesse un solo calzare, promise a Giasone di restituirgli il regno se avesse conquistato il vello d’oro in Colchide. Sperava che l’eroe sarebbe morto nell’impresa, ma Giasone portò a compimento la spedizione degli Argonauti, tornò a Iolco e si impadronì del regno.

 

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Dramma ‘sandalo’ di Larissa con un uccello simile a un fagiano invece della cicala come simbolo sul diritto (Triton XV).

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Drachm (16.5mm, 5.35 g, 10h). Horse with lowered head, grazing l. on dotted ground line, above, pheasant-like bird to r. but upside down, all in dotted circle / ΛΑ below to r., RΙ above and upside down, sandal of Jason to l., all in shallow incuse square. Herrmann pl. I, 1 (same dies); Jameson 1084 (same dies); Traité I, 1410, pl.XLIII, 1 (same dies). Good VF, lightly toned and well centred, slightly rough surfaces but a pleasing example and quite rare. 

This is the second of the three known symbols on the archaic drachms of Larissa and the most difficult to identify precisely. A “pheasant-like bird” is the best guess but even so, the reason for choosing this and not an eagle or a dove - much commoner in coin iconography - escapes us.

 

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Dramma ‘sandalo’ di Larissa con un caduceo sopra il cavallo come simbolo sul diritto (Triton XV).

THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 460 BC. AR Drachm (18mm, 5.42 g, 6h). Horse with lowered, head grazing l. on ground line, below, spitz-type dog l., looking back, above, caduceus l., all in dotted circle / ΛΑ – ΡΙ

 

 

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Emidramma con testa di Giasone a sinistra sul diritto e sandalo di Giasone a sinistra sul rovescio (CNG eauction 292).

THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 479-460 BC. AR Hemidrachm (14mm, 2.59 g, 6h). Head of Jason left, wearing petasos / ΛA below, SAE above (retrograde and upside down), sandal of Jason left; all within incuse square. BCD Thessaly II 135 (same dies; hammer of $9500). VF, lightly toned, porous.
From the BCD Collection.

The reverse omits the “RI” from the ethnic. If this odd exclusion was found only on this die we might simply discard it as an engraving error, but the omission of the two letters on at least two other reverse dies (BCD II 133, which is the same reverse die as BCD Thessaly I 1096, and BCD Thessaly II 134) complicates the matter. BCD notes (following lot 133 of BCD Thessaly II): “It is evident though that these letters can be formed by the intricate design of the leather straps of the sandal. The early Greek die-cutters had a very subtle sense of humour that often shows as a disguised play on words or a design puzzle such as this in their artwork.”

 

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Emidramma con testa di Giasone a destra sul diritto e sandalo di Giasone a sinistra sul rovescio (Triton XV).

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Hemidrachm (12.5mm, 1.62 g, 7h). Head of Jason to r., wearing petasos, border of dots / ΛΑΡΙ below double exergue line, sandal of Jason l., above, double axe r., all in incuse square. Traité I, 1414, pl. XLIII, 5 (same style but different dies; weight however is 2.58). Good VF, lightly toned.
 

This coin is so much lighter than the average weight of the “sandal” triobols that one suspects a plated ancient forgery. However, there is no sign of a bronze core and no coloured leaching is evident at the spot that one would expect, the flan edge split at 7 o’clock on the obverse. Perhaps the mint approved and even encouraged the production of over-lightweight coins as long as they could pass for the denomination they were supposed to be. See SNG Fitzwilliam 2383 for another Jason lightweight (1.90) hemidrachm listed as a “diobol”. On the other hand, SNG Cop. 89 refers to the same type (Jameson 2032) with a weight of 3.23. This is exactly the double of our specimen and makes it difficult to accept such an excessive weight fluctuation amongst coins that are supposed to be the same denomination. Finally, see Kagan so-called , p. 80 for a very rational explanation of the lightweight phenomenon amongst the various types of the “sandal” coinage.

 

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Obolo con testa di Larissa a sinistra e sandalo di Giasone a sinistra (Triton XV).

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Obol (10.5mm, 0.66 g, 12h). Head of nymph Larissa l., her hair bound with a ribbon and tied at the back; border of dots / ΛΑΡΙ below, sandal of Jason l., all in incuse square. Jameson 2033 (this coin). Good VF, nice medium to dark old collection tone. From the collections of Walter Niggeler and Robert Jameson. 

Ex Leu 45 (26 May 1988) 146, hammer CHF 2500; Leu - Münzen und Medaillen, 3 December 1965, Niggeler 254; J. Hirsch XXXI (6 May 1912) 282.

 

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Obolo con testa di Larissa a sinistra e sandalo di Giasone a destra (Triton XV).

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Obol (8.5mm, 0.61 g, 6h). Head of nymph Larissa l., her hair bound with a ribbon and tied at the back; border of dots / ΛΑЯΙ below, the Ι horizontal, sandal of Jason r., all in shallow incuse square. Not in Herrmann but see pl. I, 5 with rev. type to l. VF, toned and somewhat rough surfaces. 

Ex G. Hirsch 249 (7 February 2007) 1338, hammer € 375.

 

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Obolo con testa di Larissa a destra e sandalo di Giasone a destra (CNG 73).

THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 500-479 BC. AR Obol (0.57 g, 11h). Head of nymph right / Sandal of Jason right in incuse square. Herrmann group I, pl. I, 5 var. (nymph left); SNG Copenhagen 90 var. (same). Good VF, even light porosity. Rare.

 

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Obolo con testa di Larissa a destra e sandalo di Giasone a sinistra (Triton XV).

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Obol (9mm, 0.87 g, 7h). Head of nymph Larissa l. with drop earring, her hair bound with a ribbon and tied at the back; border of dots / ΛΑ above, retrograde and upside down, sandal of Jason l., all in incuse square. Herrmann group Ic, pl. I, 4; SNG Ashmolean 3843. Good VF, lightly toned and with some small obverse die flaws and roughness; both sides marginally off centre. 

Same rev. die as lot 348.2 below. 

 

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Obolo con testa di Larissa a sinistra e sandalo di Giasone a sinistra (Triton XV).

THESSALY, Larissa. 479/475 - circa 460 BC. AR Obol (11mm, 0.86 g, 11h). Head of nymph Larissa l., her hair bound above and behind her head with a band; in field l., horizontal double axe to right; border of dots / ΛΑRΙ from the top, left and down circular, letters retrograde and upside down, sandal of Jason l. on ground line, below which, Η sideways; all enclosed in a linear square which is inside an incuse square. Kagan, So-called, p. 85, pl. 1, 4 (this coin). Near EF, very lightly toned, an appealing coin. 

Acquired from G. E. Muller in September 1991 for CHF 2300.