Nomos 4

THESSALY, Oitaioi. After 167 BC. Didrachm (Silver, 7.64 g 12), Herakleia Trachinia. Lion’s head to left, with spear in its jaws. Rev. ΟΙΤΑΙ / ΩΝ Youthful Herakles standing facing, wearing ivy wreath, holding club with its head on the ground with his right hand and with his lion skin over his left. Nanteuil 850 (this coin). SNG Copenhagen 179. Valassiadis 10 (= BM 1900--6-6-14). Extremely rare. Nicely toned. Some old scratches on the obverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

Acquired from S. Boutin in July 1968, ex McSorley-Adams FPL 2 (1968), 49, Hess-Leu 31, 6 December 1966, 285, and from the De Nanteuil Collection (published in NC 1900 on p. 282 and on pl. XIII, 12).

A note from BCD: This very rare coin was acquired in July 1968 from Serge Boutin in Paris, for $700. His prices at the time were marked on his coin tickets in US dollars for silver and in French francs for the bronze. Monsieur Boutin bought this coin as lot 285 at Hess-Leu Auction 31 on 6 December 1966 (this information courtesy of Nomos AG, owners of the Sternberg set of annotated Hess-Leu catalogues). The hammer price was CHF 2200, only CHF 200 above the estimate. The interesting thing though about this coin is that it was also no. 49 in the McSorley-Adams FPL 2 of 1968. This can only mean that someone took this coin on approval from M. Boutin and after featuring it in the above list where it failed to sell returned it to its Paris owner. I can only think of one individual who would do such a thing in the ‘60s, but to name him would be beyond the scope of this catalogue.