Here is a new Greek Silver I picked up from @Ken Dorney. I don't get to add Greek silver very often so it's a nice feeling to get one every now and then. Thessaly, Pherai, (302 - 286 B.C.) AR Hemidrachm, 15mm, 2.46 grams Obverse: Wreathed head of Ennodia left, torch to right. Reverse: The nymph Hypereia standing left touching the top of a lions head fountain from which water pours forth, AS TO within wreath to lower left. 2.46g 15mm BCD Thessaly II, 714 // HGC 4, 553 ex BCD Collection
Nice one! My Pherai hemidrachm is an ex BCD collection coin, too: Pherai, Thessaly, hemidrachm, ca. 302–286 BC. Obv: Head of Ennodia left, torch behind. Rev: ΦΕΡΑΙΟΥΝ, the nymph Hypereia left, touching the top of lion's head fountain right, from which water pours forth, ΑΣ/TΟ within wreath to lower left. 15mm, 2.72g. Ref: BCD Thessaly I, 1321; BCD Thessaly II, 714; SNG Copenhagen 239; BMC 20. Ex CNG, e-auction 432, lot 27; ex BCD collection. I have already mentioned this in a previous post, but just to reiterate: this coin gets bonus points for a fancy philological feature. The wreath left of the nymph Hypereia contains the letters AΣTO. Two other coins from Pherai (BCD Thessaly II, 712 and 713) indicate that this is an abbreviation of a magistrate’s name, AΣTOMEΔON. Now, the name ‘Astomedon’ doesn’t make much sense in Ancient Greek, unless you take a specifically Thessalian dialectal and/or orthographic phenomenon into account. Thessalian inscriptions regularly abbreviate the prefix “aristo-”, which goes back to the adjective ἄριστος (meaning ‘best’), as “asto-”. The name ‘Astomedon’ thus should be read as ‘Aristomedon’, translating roughly into ‘the best ruler’ – a promising name for a magistrate. (For further information see M. Leumann: 'Aστο- für 'Aριστο- auf thessalischen Inschriften, in: Glotta 18, 1929, pp. 65–66.)
Nice one, Mat. I still need one of these. The three I have from Pherai... THESSALY, Pherai Very Rare. Repaired. AR Hemiobol. 0.27g, 8.3mm. THESSALY, Pherai, circa 360s-350s BC. BCD Thessaly II 694; HGC 4, 563; Imhoof-Blumer 1908, p. 93, 277, pl. VI, 38; cf. Nomos 4, 1306 corr. O: Head of Ennodia right: R: Φ - E, hunting dog sitting right. Ex BCD Collection, his tag noting "Pr. fr. Ked. Apr. 89 (thr. T/ne) ex Thess., 35000 drs." THESSALY, Pherai AE Trichalkon. 8.81g, 21.2mm. THESSALY, Pherai, circa 404-369 BC. Rogers 511, fig. 277; BCD Thessaly II 687.2; HGC 4, 564. O: Head of Hekate or nymph Hypereia facing slightly left. R: [ΦΕΡ]Α[Ι]-Ο[Ν], Lion's head fountain to right, with water pouring from mouth. Ex BCD Collection, his tag noting "T/ne ex Thess., Feb. 88, 60000 drs." THESSALY, Pherai. Alexander, Tyrant AE Chalkous. 3.23g, 15.6mm. THESSALY, Pherai, 369-359 BC. BCD Thessaly II 706-707; HGC 4, 583. O: Head of Jason to right, wearing petasos. R: ΑΛΕΞΑΝ-ΔΡΟΥ, Horse’s lower leg and hoof to right.
