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Obol
| Issuer | Pherai |
|---|---|
| Year | 479 BC - 465 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Frontal head of a bull, depicted in three-quarter view with the neck shown in profile to right, rendered in a bold archaic style characteristic of early Thessalian coinage. The powerful bovine head is shown full-face with prominent horns and a naturalistic muzzle, the neck tapering to the right. The Greek letter Χ (chi) appears in the upper field above the bull's head, while Ν (nu, retrograde) is positioned in the lower right field. The entire design is set within an incuse square border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Pherai was a minor Thessalian city whose coinage in this period is poorly documented and rarely surfaces in trade. The BCD collection reference anchors this piece to one of the most important specialist assemblages of Thessalian coins ever formed, that of the collector known only as BCD, whose holdings defined the modern understanding of the regional series when they were dispersed at auction by Leu Numismatik in the early 2000s.
Thessaly occupied an uneasy position during the Persian Wars — its ruling aristocracy, the Aleuadae, famously medized, collaborating with Xerxes during his 480 BC invasion.