Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

Thessalos, petasos and cloak tied at neck, holding band around head of forepart of bull to right / TPIK-KAI-ON (retrograde), forepart of bridled horse to right; all within incuse square. BCD Thessaly II 776.3-4 var. (arrangement of ethnic); HGC 4, 311. 2.43gr, 17mm, 5h.

Near Very Fine.

From the private collection of an Essex, UK, lady.

Head of Ennodia to left / ΦΕΡΑΙΟΝ, water fountain to right in the form of a lion's head. BCD Thessaly II 691.2; HGC 4, 570. 2.64gr, 16mm, 12h.

Good Very Fine.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet with raised cheek pieces; behind neck, ΤΗ above ΙΠ (engravers' initials) in small lettering / Φ-Α-Ρ-Σ clockwise around Thessalian cavalryman riding horse prancing to right, wearing petasos, chlamys and chiton, and holding lagobolon over his right shoulder; in exergue, Τ (engraver's initial). Lavva 86 (O43/R51); BCD Thessaly I 1284 var. (TH in exergue); BCD Thessaly II 639 var. (no ΙΠ); HGC 4, 624. 5.95gr, 18mm, 9h.

Good Extremely Fine. Tiny cut on reverse. Attractive toning with golden iridescence around the devices. Sharply struck and surprisingly detailed.

From a Swiss collection, acquired prior to 2005. Ex Nomos AG, Auction 21, 21 November 2020, lot 145 (company's ticket included).

If the harmony and the aristocratic inner peace of the portraits are the first thing that catches our attention, it is the extremely detailed rendering of the figures, especially on the reverse, that makes the viewer cling more to their admiration for this coin. Each depiction of Athena’s head in these emissions of Pharsalos makes us believe that she has her own character and that no two are the same, even though they share the same characteristics. Athena in our coin looks like a tender girl with a serious but innocent look in her eyes. Her divine power, despite her young age, is not violent; it is simply inherent in the serenity of her gaze. On the other hand, the detailed rendering of the cavalryman’s and horse's face, the texture of his chlamys, the harmonious matching of muscles and joints in the horse's body, and even the pronounced veins in the horse's belly convince us of a talented engraver and a gifted artist.

Male head to right / ΣΚΙ-ΑΘΙ, kerykeion; grape bunch to inner right. BCD Thessaly II -; HGC 6, 415. 1.86gr, 14mm, 12h.

Very Fine.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

Male head to left, wearing taenia / ΣΚΙ-ΑΘΙ, kerykeion; herm to inner left. HGC 6, 414. 2.04gr, 14mm, 12h.

Near Very Fine. Very rare.

From the private collection of an Essex, UK, lady.

Head of Dionysos to right; wreathed in ivy / [ΑΠΟΛΛΩ]-ΝΙΑΤΑΝ, filleted cornucopia; monogram to left. Mionnet II 58; HGC 3.1, 14. 6.94gr, 19mm, 3h.

Very Fine. Extremely rare.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

Laureate head of Apollo to right / Π-OΑ-P-ΤΑΥ (sic), Paeonian horseman, wearing crested helmet and full armor, galloping to right and spearing fallen enemy, who defends himself with a shield on his left arm. SNG ANS - (none with this legend); SNG Copenhagen 1390; Paeonian Hoard pl. 9, 490. 12.70gr, 25mm, 2h.

Extremely Fine. Attractive old cabinet tone with hints of golden iridescence around the devices. Well centred.

Ex UBS Gold & Numismatics, Auction 82, 20 January 2009, lot 255 (company's ticket included).

Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, round earring with central boss, and pearl necklace / Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Kroll 8; Dewing 1591-8; SNG Copenhagen 31; HGC 4, 1597. 17.19gr, 25mm, 9h.

Good Extremely Fine.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd, E-Sale 96, 5 May 2022, lot 157. Acquired on UK art market. Property of a Middlesex gentleman.

Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, round earring with central boss, and pearl necklace / Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Kroll 8; Dewing 1591-8; SNG Copenhagen 31; HGC 4, 1597. 17.18gr, 25mm, 1h.

Extremely Fine.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd, E-Sale 94, 24 February 2022, lot 88. Acquired on UK art market. Property of a Middlesex gentleman.

Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, round earring with central boss, and pearl necklace / Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Kroll 8; Dewing 1591-8; SNG Copenhagen 31; HGC 4, 1597. 17.17gr, 23mm, 5h.

Good Extremely Fine.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd, E-Sale 96, 5 May 2022, lot 152. Acquired on UK art market. Property of a Middlesex gentleman.

Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, round earring with central boss, and pearl necklace / Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Kroll 8; Dewing 1591-8; SNG Copenhagen 31; HGC 4, 1597. 17.13gr, 26mm, 1h.

Good Extremely Fine.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd, E-Sale 94, 24 February 2022, lot 130. Acquired on UK art market. Property of a Middlesex gentleman.

Head of Athena with profile eye to right, wearing disc earring, pearl necklace and a crested Attic helmet adorned with three olive leaves and a pi-style palmette / ΑΘΕ, owl standing to right, head facing the viewer, olive sprig with berry and crescent moon in upper left field, all within incuse square. Cf. HGC 4, 1597. 15.41gr, 24mm, 9h.

Good Fine.

From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.