This is an example of a coin I picked up because of no other reason then, I just like it a lot, and not anything related to my collecting area. It is a coin from Trikka in Thessaly and the details on this coin are very nice, especially for a smaller silver fraction. Thessaly, Trikka. AR Hemidrachm (circa 440-400 B.C.) Obverse: The hero Thessalos, petasos and cloak tied at neck, holding band around head of forepart of bull right. Reverse: ΤΡΙ-Κ-ΚΑI-Ο-И, forepart of bridled horse right within incuse square. Reference: HGC 4, 311; Slg. BCD Thessaly 768 var. During religious games, the young men of Thessaly participated in bull jumping and bull wrestling. In bull wrestling, participants would jump from a horse, naked wearing a chlamys (type of cloak) and petasos (type of cap), to bring a bull down to the ground. The obverse shows a wrestler bringing down a bull and the reverse shows the horse running free after the leap was made. The game may have originated in Asia Minor and then traveled to Crete, where it is known the people of Thessaly have learned the sport. Share your coins from Trikka, and other bull wrestling coins!
It's gorgeous! The folds of skin on the bull's neck, the young man's pecs, the folds of his cape... what a fantastic example of the type!
Nice score! Here's my only bull wrestler: THESSALY, Larissa. Circa 450/40-420 BC. AR Drachm, 20mm, 5.9g, 6h. Obv.: The hero Thessalos, with petasos and chlamys hanging around neck, restraining bull left by band held around its head; plant to left and below; TO in exergue. Rev.: ΛΑ / P / IΣA; Bridled horse rearing right within incuse square.
@Pavlos , I really like your Bull Wrestling coin! It is fascinating about that sport / religious rite. Its origins are deep in Hunan History. Kinda wonder if it harkens back to when Humans were hunting / domesticating(?) the Aurochs... I do not have one, nor do I have one from Trikka... so, I will key on your theme of amazing detail on such a small coin. Although my photo is bad, this little Tet has amazing detail. CILICIA Uncertn Early-mid 4th C BCE AR Tetartemorion 5mm 0.17gPersian king running dagger and bow - Crowned hd Achaemenid king CNG E239 Troxell Kagan 4
Awesome example, Pavlos! The bit I love best on your coin is how you can very clearly see the wrestler's hand grasping the horn of the bull, pulling its head down and to the right. This is the detail that tends to go first on these coins. Excellent buy. Here's one of them from Larissa. THESSALY, Larissa AR Hemidrachm. 2.96g, 17.3mm. THESSALY, Larissa, circa 450-430 BC. Lorber, Thessalian, Series 4, 18c (O10/R9) = CH 9, 77, inv. D/E-2-12 (this coin); BCD Thessaly I –; cf. BCD Thessaly II 178; HGC 4, 459 var. (horse left). O: Thessalos standing left, holding band across horns of forepart of bull leaping left; TO below. R: Λ-Α-P-Ι, forepart of bridled horse right within incuse square. Ex BCD Collection; ex Thessaly hoard, circa 1996 (CH 9, 77, inv. D/E-2-12) A Trikka like yours, but with a gouge in the middle of obverse and a small punch on the reverse, evidence that it was tested for authenticity in ancient times. THESSALY, Trikka AR Hemidrachm. 2.87g, 17.2mm. THESSALY, Trikka, circa 440-400 BC. BCD Thessaly II 775.5 (same dies). O: Thessalos, petasos and cloak tied at neck, holding band around head of forepart of bull right; E below bull’s head, V between the legs of Thessalos. R: Forepart of bridled horse right; TP I /KKA I OИ around from upper left (KK retrograde); all within incuse square. Ex stevex6 Collection; ex BCD Collection And a Pharkadon. THESSALY, Pharkadon AR Hemidrachm. 2.83g, 16.6mm. THESSALY, Pharkadon, circa 440-400 BC. BCD Thessaly I 1269 var. (arrangement of ethnic); BCD Thessaly II 616.2 (same rev. die); HGC 4, 292. O: Hero Thessalos, petasos and cloak tied at neck, holding band around head of forepart of bull right. R: Φ-Α-Ρ-Κ (retrograde), forepart of horse right within incuse square. Ex BCD Collection (tag noting purchase from GRMH, Dec 1977, for 200 SFr) The Thessalian taurokathapsia hemis most commonly encountered are those of Trikka, Larissa, and Pharkadon, but they were also struck by the Perrhaiboi, and at Pherai, Krannon, Skotussa (rare), and Pelinna (very rare).
Some beautiful coins shown here! I like how the ones showing only half the animal show the front half, instead of, you know.... Incredible details for these times...thanks to everyone posting!
The south end of a northbound horse? Not my coin, unfortunately. It's from the ANS collection: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24093
Did everyone notice that all of these demonstrate the Greek lettering Boustrophedon (as the ox plows). The city name starts at the top in what we would call normal orientation but switches to right to left order across the bottom. Letters with a direction like P and K always point in the direction of travel so they are retrograde when going right to left. Many letters (A, T, O) appear the same in either orientation but are actually retrograde when travelling right to left. When going up or down the die cutter had to decide whether the letters were base in or base out. Zumbly's Trikka has retrograde, base out KK while his Larissa has the P base in and left to right as it decends the right side of the coin. My coin is a Trikka and confusing with K which could be base in or out on the right side but shows the 'normal' N either way you turn it at the left. Had the cutter considered the N to be base out and right to left, he would have slanted the bar in the N the other way so he must have intended the letter to be base in making the direction of travel left to right. He was not as confused as we are. My coin also is unusual compared to others here with the bull head twisted around to face the viewer rather than being viewed from the side. That feature is why I selected this coin.
The one I bought before I picked up Steve's is similar to yours in arrangement, though not all the letters are clear. It has the bull's head facing as well.
Thank you all for your words! Thank you TIF. I agree the details are very nice, and I haven't even noticed those pecs! When I read your comment I had to see the coin twice to notice them What a great coin, I like that here the bull and horse are all the way visible. What an artistic and sharp looking obverse, and when I saw it is a tetartemorion I was like . Thank you for sharing. Thank you for sharing those beauties Zumbly! I didn't even know many other Thessalian cities issued the same types. There must have been some kind of confederacy that they share the same types, no? I haven't noticed that, thank you Doug for sharing this and also a beautiful coin. The letters on the reverse of my coin are unfortunately not so clearly visible and I can not make up the orientation very well.
Yup, these date to shortly after the withdrawal of Persian control over Thessaly, in 479 BC. Larissa was the most powerful city at this time, and almost certainly played a dominant role in a league of Thessalian cities. Initiating a uniform series of coinage struck at various mints, in this case celebrating the taurokathapsia, the national sport of Thessaly, was a pretty good attempt at unifying the region.
Nice coins all and thanks for making this timely post Christos . . . I picked this one up a bit more than a week ago and shamelessly share @lordmarcovan 's image: THESSALY, Pharkadon. Circa 440-400 BC. AR Hemidrachm. Obv: Taurokathapsia scene; Nude Thessalos, wearing petasos and chlamys, restraining forepart of bull by its head running right. Rev: Forepart of horse right within incuse square, Φ-Α-Ρ-Κ-ΑΔ-Ο (partially retrograde). 15 mm, 2.72g. BCD Thessaly II 603; HGC 4, 292
