AR Drachm 400-370 BC v. Chr. THESSALIA, PHARSALOS - SIGNED PIECE OF MASTER DIE CUTTER TELEPHANTOS - circa 400-370 BC cf. NAC Auction 62 , Lot 62 in about xf with minor
cf. NAC Auction 62 , Lot 62 in about xf with minor | Abbreviations
Pharsalos
18.00 mm
weight 5,88gr. | silver Ø 18mm. Dies signed by the engraver Telephantos (TH).
obv. Head of Athena right, wearing Attic helmet with raised cheek pieces in small letters behind neck, TH rev. Thessalian cavalryman on horse prancing to right on groundline, wearing petasos, chlamys and short chiton, holding lagobolon over his right shoulder, Φ - A / P - Σ in the corners of a shallow incuse square, TH below (above the ground line)
Located in Phthiotis (which was the homeland of the Myrmidons, as well as Peleus, the father of Achilles), Pharsalos was one of the major poleis of Thessaly. Continuously occupied since Neolithic times, its visible remains include a portion of a so-called Cyclopean Wall and a Mycenaean- period tomb. In the Archaic and Classical periods, Pharsalos was under the control of three major families – the Echekratidai, the Menonidai, and the Daochidai. At the time of the second invasion of Greece by the Persians (480-479 BC), the city was allied with Athens. During the so-called First Peloponnesian War (460-445 BC), the Athenians attempted to capture Pharsalos (which by then was outside of the influence of Athens), but failed, though both cities later became allies again. During the late 5th and early 4th centuries BC, Pharsalos was beset by such civil strife, that Polydamas was entrusted with supreme power over that city in 375 BC. Later, Polydamas concluded an agreement with Jason of Pherai, making Jason of Thessaly. Immediately following the assassination of of Jason in 370 BC, his successor, Polyphron, had Polydamas murdered along with eight other leading citizens of Pharsalos. For a period in the 4th century Pherai dominated the affairs of Pharsalos, but after the arrival of Philip II, the situation was reversed. Pharsalos received Halos in 346 as an outlet to the sea.
In 323 BC, Pharsalos joined the revolt against Macedonia as a result the Daochids were expelled by Antipater and the city lost its independence. During the Second (200-197 BC) and Third (171-168 BC) Macedonian Wars, Thessaly (now allied with Rome and, since 189 BC, a member of the Thessalian League) became the primary battleground, and the Thessalian cavalry (composed largely of horsemen from Pharsalos) frequently battled with the Macedonians. In 48 BC, the plains to the northwest of the city were the site of the Battle of Pharsalos, the decisive victory of Julius Caesar over the Pompey and the Republic (see Lucan, Bellum Civile, 7). After then, the town, although it remained a part of the Thessalian League, diminished in importance throughout the remainder of antiquity.cf. NAC Auction 62 , Lot 62 in about xf with minor marks on obverse (SFR 24.000 + 23%)
BMC 7 | cf. SNG.Copenhagen 220 | Lavva 99d Weber collection - | McClean 4683var. HGC 6, no.624var. cf. BCD. Thessaly I, 638 (xf USD 16.000 + 18%) BCD. Thessaly II. 1285 (xf- | SFR 22.000 +18%)RR Small scuff on reverse, but coin of beautiful classical style from the master die cutter Telephantos. Very rare. vf à vf/xf
Please respect our order minimum of 20 Euros. For EU only IBAN payment please. Shippings to China are on risk of the buyer and only payment by bankwire or WISE. Shipping will take place within 5 days after receipt of payment. Sendings to Russia,Ukraine and Israel are not possible. Additional administration- and risk costs for PayPal & creditcard payments. No PayPal or creditcardpayments possible for orders over 10.000 euro.