A Stunning Drachm of Pharsalos

Thessaly, Pharsalos AR Drachm. Late 5th-mid 4th century BC. Dies signed by the engravers Telephantos and Mi -. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet with raised cheek guards, helmet ornamented with two palmettes; TH and MI behind / Thessalian cavalryman riding horse prancing to right, wearing petasos, chlamys and chiton, and holding lagobolon over shoulder; ΦΑΡ(retrograde)[Σ] around, [ΤΗ] below exergual line. Lavva 154 (V72/R90); BCD Thessaly II, 642 (same dies). 6.36g, 19mm, 1h.

Extremely Fine; beautiful golden highlights.

Acquired from Münzhandlung Ritter (Düsseldorf), 13 September 1996, old collector’s tickets included.

Thessaly, Thessalian League AR Stater. Late 2nd-mid 1st century BC. Amynandros and Xenophantos, magistrates. Head of Zeus to right, wearing oakwreath; ΞENOΦAN-TOΣ downwards in two lines behind / Athena Itonia advancing to right, holding shield and preparing to hurl spear on which owl sits; ΘΕΣΣΑ upwards to left, A-MY-N-AN-ΔPOY across central fields, monogram to inner field. BCD Thessaly II 867.1; HGC 4, 209 corr. (symbol). 6.32g, 23mm, 12h.

Good Extremely Fine; well-struck and lustrous. Very rare with these magistrates.

Gillet Collection & ex Katoché Hoard 1948 ELIS

113. 4,800 Ex

Elis, Olympia AR Stater. ‘Hera’ mint, circa 98th Olympiad = 388 BC. Head of Hera to right, wearing ornamented stephanos; c/ms: uncertain identical symbols / Upright thunderbolt; F-A across fields; all within wreath. Seltman, Katoché 284h = BCD Olympia 94 = Gillet 985 (this coin); Seltman, Temple 283-4; BMC 57 (same dies); HGC 5, 357 (this coin cited and illustrated - R1). 12.13g, 23mm, 4h.

Extremely Fine; boasting a spectacular old cabinet tone. Extremely Rare.

This coin published in O.D. Hoover, The Handbook of Greek Coins, Vol. 5 - Coins of the Peloponnesos (Lancaster PA, 2011); This coin published in C. Seltman, ‘The Katoché Hoard of Elean Coins’ in NC 11 (London, 1951);

Ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 195, 7 March 2011, lot 189;

Ex BCD Collection, Leu Numismatik AG, Auction 90, 10 May 2004, lot 94 (hammer: CHF 10,500);

Ex Charles Gillet collection;

Arkadia, Megalopolis AR Triobol or Hemidrachm. Circa 100-80 BC. Laureate head of Zeus to left / Pan seated to left on rock, raising hand and holding logobolon; ΜΕΓ behind, eagle flying to left above knee, monogram to lower left. Dengate group III, pp. 84-5, issue 7; BMC 8-9; BCD Peloponnesos I 1554; BCD Peloponnesos II 2675; SNG Copenhagen 259; Weber 4310; Traeger 449; HGC 5, 947. 2.40g, 16mm, 11h. Extremely Fine; wonderful old cabinet tone with attractive hints of iridescence.

From a private European collection.

Corinthia

116.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 405-345 BC. Pegasos flying to left; Ϙ below / Head of Athena to left, wearing Corinthian helmet; palmette behind. Pegasi 111; BCD Corinth -; Ravel 347; HGC 4, 1832. 8.54g, 24mm, 4h.

Good Very Fine.

Acquired from Art Valorem (France).

117.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 400-345 BC. Pegasos flying to left; Ϙ and H below / Head of Athena to left, wearing Corinthian helmet; forepart of horse to right behind. Pegasi 141/1; BCD Corinth 54 var. (H to left of Ϙ on obv.); HGC 4, 1832. 8.59g, 22mm, 2h.

Good Extremely Fine.

From the JTB Numismatic Collection.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 375-345 BC. Pegasos flying to right; Ϙ below / Head of Athena to right, wearing Corinthian helmet; Nike standing to left holding thymiaterion, EΛ (reverted) above. Pegasi - cf. 350 (direction of Nike, different control letters); Ravel -; Camman -; apparently unpublished in the standard references.

NGC graded AU 5/5-3/5 (6158966-001). Extremely rare unpublished variant.

Acquired from Vilmar Numismatics; Ex Nelson Bunker Hunt Collection, Sotheby’s Sale 6044, 21 June 1990, lot 434.

1,500

118.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 375-345 BC. Pegasos flying to left; Ϙ below / Head of Athena to left, wearing Corinthian helmet; E and race torch behind. Pegasi 372; Ravel 995; BCD Corinth 95; SNG Copenhagen -; HGC 4, 1848. 8.45g, 22mm, 9h.

Good Very Fine.

From a private European collection.

119.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 345-307 BC. Pegasos flying to left; Ϙ below / Head of Athena to left, wearing Corinthian helmet; Ι below chin, cockerel standing to left on club behind. Pegasi 423; Ravel 1032; BCD Corinth 113; SNG Copenhagen 112; SNG Lockett 2092; SNG Fitzwilliam 3410; HGC 4, 1848. 8.42g, 22mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine; attractive cabinet tone over lustrous metal.

121.

Corinthia, Corinth AR Stater. Circa 345-307 BC. Pegasos flying to left; Ϙ below / Head of Athena to left, wearing Corinthian helmet; N within wreath behind. Pegasi 386; Ravel 1069; BCD Corinth 128; SNG Copenhagen 119; HGC 4, 1848. 8.57g, 21mm, 12h.

From a private European collection. 600

Corinthia,

Corinth AR Stater. Circa 345-307 BC. Pegasos flying to left / Head of Athena to left, wearing Corinthian helmet; axe behind. Pegasi 494; Ravel 1119; BCD Corinth 139; HGC 4, 1848. 8.56g, 21mm, 3h.

Extremely Fine; attractive cabinet tone over lustrous metal. Rare.

Although likely, the attribution of this type to Corinth is not certain as the city’s ethnic is not displayed below the Pegasos, as is usually the case. 600

A Beautiful Portrait of Aphrodite

122. 600

Corinthia, Corinth AR Drachm. Circa 330-300 BC. Pegasos flying to left; Ϙ below / Head of Aphrodite to left, wearing sakkos; Δ before, I behind. BCD Corinth 154 var. (hairstyle); BMC 322; HGC 4, 1869. 2.61g, 14mm, 6h.

Good Very Fine; deep old cabinet tone. Very Rare.

Ex Münzzentrum Rheinland, Auction 105, 10-12 January 2001, lot 147 (old collector’s ticket included).

Corinthia, Corinth AR Drachm. Circa 330-300 BC. Pegasos flying to left; Ϙ below / Head of Aphrodite to left, wearing sakkos; Δ below chin. BCD Corinth 156-8 var. (letters on rev.); SNG Copenhagen 130 var. (same); HGC 4, 1869. 2.50g, 17mm, 12h.

Near Extremely Fine; attractive old cabinet tone. Rare variant.

From a private UK collection.

Sikyonia

A Very Rare Variety

124.

Sikyonia, Sikyon AR Stater. Circa 431-400 BC. Chimaera advancing to right, right paw raised; ΣE below / Dove flying to right within olive wreath. BCD Peloponnesos 200.1; BMC 46; SNG Copenhagen 32 var. (obv. legend retrograde) or 47 var. (ivy leaf on rev.); SNG Lockett 2324 var. (bow on rev.); HGC 5, - cf. pp. 56-57 for multiple variants. 12.25g, 25mm, 12h.

Good Extremely Fine; beautiful iridescent tone around the devices. Very Rare.

Acquired from Münzhandlung Ritter (Düsseldorf), 13 September 1996.

Attica

3,300

Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 500-480 BC. Archaic head of Athena to right, wearing crested helmet decorated with chevron and dot pattern and round earring / Owl standing to right with head facing; olive sprig behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Seltman Group M, cf. 385 (A253/ P326); cf. Svoronos pl. 5, 38; HGC 4, 1590. 17.08g, 24mm, 9h.

Extremely Fine; metal flaw on rev., but in exceptional condition and displaying a near complete helmet crest. Very Rare.

From a private European collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XXII, 7 October 2021, lot 205.

2,100

Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 485-480 BC. Archaic head of Athena to right, wearing crested helmet decorated with chevron and dot pattern, and round earring with central boss / Owl standing to right with head facing; olive sprig behind, [Α]ΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Cf. Seltman ‘Paeonian mint’ group E, 92-110; cf. Svoronos pl. 2; HGC 4, 1591. 17.03g, 21mm, 3h.

Good Very Fine; some light scratches.

From the JTB Numismatic Collection; Acquired from Numismatik Naumann.