Lot 3360

Description

Thessaly, Thessalian League, (mid - late 1st century B.C.), silver stater (5.89gm), issued in the name of Philippos and Themistogenes, magistrates. obv. head of Zeus right, wearing oak wreath, rev. **QESSA /LÍN*, Athena Itonia striding right, hurling spear held in her right hand, shield on her left arm, above **FILIP POU* above spear, **QEM]ISTOGEN[HS]* in exergue, in inner right field, Ennodia running right, holding two torches, (cf.S.2232, SNG Cop. 296, see also Coin Hoards III, fig. 12, 11, BCD Triton XV Lot 883.2). Toned, nearly extremely fine.

The depiction of Ennodia on these issues has received various interpretations. Typically, in other art forms, she is shown riding a horse. Helly reported (RN 1966, p. 8, n. 2) that he had seen an example of these staters showing her on a horse, but there are no published examples with this plainly visible. It is more likely that, as here, the engraver attempted to display her in a running motion (as Artemis Phosphoros typically is shown on other coinage), but the dress is so poorly rendered that it appears to be alien to her form, such that the viewer may misinterpret the dress as a horse. See UBS 57 (15 September 2003), lot 187, for another example (courtesy CNG).