Nomos 28

MACEDON. Akanthos. Circa 380-350 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 25 mm, 14.28 g, 3 h), struck under the magistrate Thersas. ΘΕPΣΑΣ Lion to right with dangling tail, attacking bull, collapsing to left with head raised. Rev. ΑΚΑ-Ν-ΘΙΟ-Ν in shallow incuse square around quadripartite square with stippled quarters in relief and a central pellet. Desneux -. HGC -. Tselekas, Period G, - apparently unpublished with this magistrate's name and the dot on the center of the reverse. Seemingly unique. Very well-centered, toned and most attractive. Extremely fine.

From a European collection, acquired prior to 2005.

This extraordinary coin presents us with an apparently hitherto unknown magistrate's name, Thersas. It might be suggested that the name is merely a completely garbled version of the known ΑΛΕΞΙΟΣ, but the quality of the type itself definitely precludes that possibility. Of course, if the master engraver was absent and an apprentice who was illiterate attempted to engrave the magistrate's name, we might get what we have here. But this is equally unlikely. The presence of a dot in the center of the quadripartite square is totally atypical to Akanthos mint, and is reminiscent of the much earlier incuse squares of Sermylia.