Nomos 34

THESSALY. Phalanna. Circa 340 BC. Drachm (Silver, 18 mm, 5.19 g, 6 h). Youthful male head to right, with short, curly hair. Rev. ΦΑΛΑ-ΝΝ-ΑΙΩΝ Bridled horse with curled tail prancing to right; below, bunch of grapes lying on its side and monogram of ΑΝ. Coin Hoards III, fig 2, 4 (same dies). BCD 1253 (same dies). Jameson 1100 = Traité IV, 584 and pl. CCXCIII, 8 (same dies). Rare and most attractive: sharply struck from fresh dies and beautifully toned. Extremely fine.

Acquired from Tradart in 1990.

This must be the second issue of drachms from Phalanna: unlike them, it bears both a symbol and a monogram. The male head on this coin is very individual in feel, could it be an actual portrait? In fact, this variety is only known from a single pair of dies, which may indicate that it was a special issue. Interestingly enough BCD, as he wrote in his note to BCD Thessaly 1346, agreed with Humphrij's opinion that this coin was struck in c. 229/8. While it is true that people who disagree with BCD often have bad luck, dating this coin in the last quarter of the 3rd century is stylistically impossible.