Obolos 19

THESSALY. Koinon of Thessaly. Caracalla, 211-217. Triassarion (Bronze, 23 mm, 7.04 g, 7 h). MAP AY ANTΩNEINOC Laurate and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right, seen from behind; star in right field. Rev. KOINON ΘΕCCΑΛΩN Nike, holding wreath in right hand and reins in left, driving galloping triga right; Γ below. BCD Thessaly II 979.6. var. (obverse legend). Rogers 111 var. (draped and cuirassed). Brown surfaces. Light porosity, otherwise, very fine.

Originally, our cataloguer had attributed this coin to Thessalonica based on Varbanov 4412, which is nearly identical except that it lacks the star before Caracalla's bust on the obverse and the denomination mark (Γ) below the triga on the reverse (this explains why this coin is out of order in this sale). As Touratsoglou doesn't have any coins with the Nike driving a triga, recorded in his book on Thessalonica, it is very possible that the coin listed in Varbanov 4412 is actually also an issue of the Thessalian Koinon. In any case, the correction was done after the suggestion of a young amateur known for his rich and long hair, to whom we are deeply thankful.