BCD Thessaly Supplement: Koinon [Thessalian League] (CNG E-Auction 325)

Created: 1 July 2022
Last Updated: 1 July 2022
Note: Ongoing work, please share any notes or corrections. I’m preparing similar annotations on CNG 299, a comparable sale of 80 ex-BCD Thessalian League bronzes.

CONTENTS:
1. Background
2. Introduction
3. Index of Notable Lots
4. Annotated List of Lots
5. Bibliography

BACKGROUND

Aside from the 10 major sales of the BCD Collection(s), there have been numerous smaller sales of Duplicates and “Further Selections,” including portions of many CNG electronic and feature auctions. (Additionally, there are secondary sales with runs of ex-BCD coins that had already been sold at least once in previous auctions.) Many of those sales weren’t particularly worth writing home about. But a few presented new and valuable information, and are worth remembering and reading as “BCD Supplements.”

Below are my annotations on a personal favorite: CNG e-Auction 325 (23 April 2014), Lots 1-95 (“Coinage of the Thessalian League from the BCD Collection“). Or, as I think of it, BCD Thessaly Supplement: Koinon. (Perhaps BCD Supplement Thessalian League would be better? The sale is limited to AE, mainly Roman Provincial, which BCD termed “Koinon of Thessaly,” as distinct from the earlier “Thessalian League.” If any other collector had put these coins together, it would’ve been recognized as a notable collection and important contribution in its own right. Note: Several coins went unsold and do not appear on CNG’s archive, but can be viewed on ACSearch [plus lot 178, Lakedaimon]; the Numisbids link at the top of this paragraph gives them all as a standalone, titled section.)

20: Augustus.
39: Nero.
45: Nero.
Three coins in my collection from CNG EA 325

INTRODUCTION

[BCD Thessaly Supplement: Koinon] Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 325 (23 April 2014), “Coinage of the Thessalian League from the BCD Collection”: Lots 1-95.

The quality of material and cataloging are unusually high, with original contributions extending well beyond an ordinary “duplicates” sale. Its strength is the narrow focus on bronze coins of the late Thessalian League / “Koinon of Thessaly” (most of it Roman Provincial, c. first century BCE to Gallienus). If available in print, the catalog would be a worthwhile standalone contribution and supplement to the existing numismatic literature on the Thessalian League: BCD Thessaly I & II, RPC, and Friedrich Burrer’s (1993) Münzprägung und Geschichte des thessalischen Bundes in der römischen Kaiserzeit bis auf Hadrian (31 v. Chr. – 138 n. Chr.).

This is especially so for coins after Hadrian, which are yet to be published by Burrer or, in some cases, RPC. Importantly, many of the lots from Augustus to Hadrian had been cited or illustrated in the major references (more even than the CNG cataloger recognized, as I’ve noted below), which were themselves heavily influenced by BCD (viz., Burrer and RPC, including RPC Supplement 1, Combined Supp. 1-3, and Supp. 4). As noted below, other types (or dies or legend variations) had not been previously published in prior BCD catalogs or elsewhere, and appeared in CNG EA 325 for the first time. Yet other lots first corrected erroneous descriptions given by Rogers for types not published again since his 1932 book on The Copper Coinage of Thessaly.

How this auction has escaped attention…escapes me!

INDEX OF NOTABLE LOTS

This is a working document, so I will be adding. Date of last update will be noted above. (I’ll try to provide some detail in a change log.)

Types not in BCD Thessaly I or II [5 lots]: 23, 65, 87, 88, 91; see also 35.

  • These lots represent types not previously published in the major BCD catalogs (.pdf’s linked, for more detail see here): BCD Thessaly I (Nomos 4) or BCD Thessaly II (Triton XV). These are usually more than minor variants or corrections (indexed separately). The remaining 89 lots are of types published in BCD Thessaly I and/or II (the latter cited much more frequently). However, many lots give new dies and variants, or clarify BCD Thessaly. Others expand upon the catalogs and/or provide new references or commentary (see, e.g, Lot 45: Nero’s Taurokathapsia issue).

Additions to RPC, Burrer, Moustaka (and corr./var. to BCD Thess., some minor) [30 Lots]: 10, 12, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25–33, 35, 37–45, 47, 51, 59.

  • These lots represent additional BCD Collection coins illustrated (sometimes cited) in the literature (corrections and variations to BCD Thess. are given separately). Where the coin’s publication was not referenced in the lot description, I’ve indicated it as “not noted in EA 325 listing” or similar.

New Commentary [10 Lots]: 7–9, 16, 25, 44–45, 48, 50, 77.

  • Not including commentary originally published in BCD Thessaly I or II. I have indicated where the commentary (or previous version) was published in CNG EA 299 (27 Mar 2013), Lots 1-80 — another valuable “BCD Koinon of Thessaly Supplement” of similar Roman Provincial AE. I’ve only partially annotated it at present. Ideally, one might read the two sales together as a single supplement with 175 lots.

Errata, Corrections & Suggestions [11 Lots]: 2, 3, 7–9, 14, 26, 33, 35, 44–45.

  • Lots with incorrect references, mistaken dies, and similar, including missing references to obvious exemplars in BCD Thessaly I & II.

Prior Provenances Noted [2 Lots]: 47, 75.

  • Compared to major sales of BCD coins, dramatically fewer included provenance information. There is doubtless much more on BCD’s round collector tags than published in the catalog. Unfortunately, the tags for all three of mine had been lost or disposed of by intervening collectors. One hopes the other lots haven’t suffered the same (or, at a minimum, that the information was recorded before destroying or losing the physical document).

Disposition (Collections, Sales) [12 Lots]: 1, 11, 12, 19, 20, 21, 39, 45, 50, 58, 59, 76.

  • When known, future appearances of coins from this auction in future sales or collections. My collection (Jackson-Jacobs [CONSERVATORI]) includes 3. Notable collections these coins have gone to (and departed from, which is how I know) include: Peter J. Merani (NVMMIS HISTORIAM DISCENS); Dr. W.R. (Roma Universa); and Dr. Mark Staal.
  • I have not yet found any cited in museum/institutional collections. (ANS has a lovely collection of the Thessalian League, including well over 100 AR Staters and Drachms and dozens of Greek AE, mostly bequeathed by E.T. Newell, and a small but splendid run of a couple dozen Roman Provincial AE of the Koinon ex-BCD Thessaly II. [Some from intermediary sales in which I bid unknowingly and unsuccessfully against ANS, or their benefactor.] Also, a number of Koinon/League issues among the Newell and others classified under the Larissa mint. Maybe the ANS would also take my Augustus/Artemis-Ennodia AE Assarion [Lot 20]? They don’t seem to have one.)


ANNOTATED LIST OF NOTABLE LOTS

  • Lot 1. Thessalian League Tetrachalkon or Trihemiobol: Disposition: Sammlung Dr. W.R. (“Roma Universa”), Künker 326 (7 Oct 2019), Lot 344 [unsold] & EA 65 (23 Feb 2021), Lot 7031;
  • Lot 2 & Lot 3. Thessalian League Dichalkon or Obol: should probably also cite BCD Thessaly I 1393 and BCD Thessaly II 854 corr. (obv. spelling of Philokrates) [interesting back-and-forth between ASW & BCD in the BCD Thess. I & II listings];
  • Lots 7, 8, & 9: Thessalian League Chalkous or Hemiobol: new commentary re: dating & AR coinage of the same magistrates (Lots 8 & 9 w/ a minor typo!);
  • Lot 10. Octavian & Livia AE Obol: RPC I (Online) 1427 (example 11, this coin illustrated [not noted in EA 325 listing]);
  • Lot 11. Augustus Diassarion: Disposition: CNG EA 475 (26 Aug 2020), Lot 452;
  • Lot 12. Augustus Diassarion: Burrer p. 107, 18 (A2/R17 – this coin, reverse illustrated on pl. 1), this coin indirectly cited in RPC I (Supp. 1: p. 20, 1-3: p. 76, & Online) 1425, “Burrer Em 1a, p. 105–8, 1–32 (series 1)”;
  • Lot 14. temp. Augustus Assarion: Type given as missing from RPC I, but should be RPC I (Supp.) 1425A (this coin not cited, but of 8 ex. in RPC, at least 5 are ex-BCD, plus several more in Burrer not directly cited in RPC);
  • Lot 16. Augustus Tetrassarion: Burrer p. 114, 61.1 (A16/R50 – this coin, rev. illustrated on pl. 2), this coin also RPC I (Supp. 1: p. 20, 1-3: p. 77, & Online) 1426A (ex. 3 of group citation exs. 1-5);
    • parts of the commentary are from CNG EA 299 (27 Mar 2013), Lot 5 [“Very rare…all from the BCD Collection…visible”] but the final sentence is new (albeit drawn from info. in BCD Thess. II 916): “It was not until the appearance of BCD Thessaly II 916 that the full legend was able to be reconstructed”;
  • Lot 17. Augustus Diassarion: Obv. legend break not in major BCD sales (BCD Thessaly II 917 var. [obv. legend] & BCD Thessaly I 1398 var. [same]), but known from 4 other examples in Burrer (p. 115, 63) – typically, all ex-BCD!;
  • Lot 19. temp. Augustus Assarion: Disposition: CNG EA 496 (21 July 2021), Lot 275; this example illustrated on Wildwinds (Thessalian League) [for type BCD Thessaly II 919.1];
  • Lot 20. temp. Augustus Assarion (Athena / Artemis Ennodia): BCD Thessaly I 1400 type w/ unusual obv. var. (unknown to Burrer in 1993) described as “mistaken legend” (ΣΕΒΑΣ – HI (sic!) ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟ); this die pair not found on any other examples;
    • the usual type is BCD Thessaly II 919.2, Burrer p. 122, 112-113; oddly, the best ex. on RPC Online or Supplements is BCD Thess 1400 (the rare “mistake”);
    • of 6 ex. of which I’m aware, 1 is in the Athens coll., 5 were in the collection of BCD (3 of them unknown to Burrer), all but one (Burrer 113.2) recorded in CNG or Nomos sales [7 records on ACSearch (c. 30 June 2022) include 2 duplicates];
  • Lot 21. Divus Augustus Tetrassarion: This coin illustrated in RPC I (Online) 1430.5, type not in BCD Thessaly I, example in BCD Thessaly II 920.1 = RPC 1430.4 had monogram intentionally gouged out;
  • Lot 23. Tiberius Diassarion: This coin illustrated [not noted in EA 325 listing] in RPC I (Supp. 1: p. 20, 1-3: p.77, Online) 1431A (wrong weight given in Suppls., corrected in RPC online [ex. 8 & “digital plate coin”]); type not in BCD Thessaly I or II, “Seemingly unrecorded with retrograde reverse legend”;
    • RPC Supp. also gives mistaken Burrer ref., corrected (almost) in RPC Online (“Burrer Em 1, Series 3, p. 127–8 (unlisted dies?)”);
  • Lot 24. temp. Tiberius Triassarion: described as Tetrassarion in BCD Thessaly II 920.2, type absent from BCD Thessaly I;
  • Lot 25. temp. Tiberius Assarion: This coin cited in RPC I (Supp. 1: p. 20, 1-3: p. 77) 1431B (ex. 3) & RPC Online “digital plate coin” (c. 30 June 2022); additionally commentary originally published in CNG EA 299 (27 March 2013), Lot 14 [slightly edited];
  • Lot 26. Claudius Triassarion: New die combination to Burrer, RPC, or BCD Thessaly I & II; described as Tetrassarion in BCD Thessaly II 922 & 923.1; should probably also cite BCD Thessaly I 1401 (Diassarion or Dupondius) = RPC 1433.17 (“digital plate coin”);
  • Lot 27. Claudius Triassarion: Correcting Burrer description of rev. die, variant not in BCD Thessaly I or II (not rev. monogram), described as Tetrassarion in BCD Thessaly II 922 & 923.1 & Disassarion or Dupondius in BCD Thessaly I 1401 (similar type w/ monogram);
  • Lot 28. Claudius Triassarion: Same denominational correction as above, same absence of monogram re: BCD Thessaly I & II (but not noted in this description);
  • Lot 29. temp. Claudius Triassarion: Burrer p. 134, 29.1 (A11/R23 – this coin cited, “BCD AntLiv 15,” rev. illustrated on pl. 7), this coin indirectly cited in RPC I (Supp. 1, 1-3 [corr., 27-28 err.] & Online) 1434, “Burrer Em 1, p. 134–6, 29–41 (series 2)”;
  • Lot 30. temp. Claudius Triassarion: Burrer p. 135, 39 (this coin cited, “BCD AntLiv 12”), this coin indirectly cited in RPC (Supp. & Online [as above]);
  • Lot 31. Claudius Diassarion: Rev. variant not in BCD Thessaly II (but see 926.1) or BCD Thessaly I;
  • Lot 32. Claudius Diassarion: Rev. variant not in BCD Thessaly II (but see 926.2) or BCD Thessaly I, and correcting Burrer (rev. legend);
  • Lot 33. Claudius Diassarion: Burrer p. 143, 89.1 corr. (A22/R75 – this coin, rev. illustrated on pl. 9; retrograde letters not noted), cited indirectly in RPC I (Supp. 1: p. 20, 1-3: p. 77, Online) 1437, “Burrer Em 1, p. 143, 87–90…”; should probably also cite BCD Thessaly I 1402 (diff. monogram [?], interesting commentary);
  • Lot 35. temp. Claudius Assarion: Burrer p. 144, 96.1 (A24/R81 – this coin, “BCD AntArt 1,” this obv. illustrated on pl. 9), cited indirectly in RPC I (Supp. 1: p. 20, 1-3: p. 77, Online) 1438, “Burrer Em 1, p. 144–5, 96–7 (series 5)”; mistakenly gives no BCD Thess reference, but it should be BCD Thess II 928;
  • Lot 37. temp. Claudius(?) Assarion: RPC I (Supp.) 1438B.4 (this coin), cited in RPC Online [coin 304163], no photo or auction ref.;
  • Lot 38. temp. Claudius(?) Assarion: RPC I (Supp.) 1438C.2 (this coin), cited in RPC Online [coin 304173], no photo or auction ref.;
  • Lot 39. Nero Diassarion: Burrer Em. 1, Series 1, 1.1 (A1/R1 – this coin illustrated on pl. 9), also cited indirectly in RPC I (Suppl. 1, 1-3) 1439 (Burrer 1–29); BCD Thessaly II 931.1 var. (arrangement of legend);
  • Lots 40, 41, 42, 43: Nero Diassarion: Further variants of legend (as above), cf. BCD Thessaly II 931.1;
  • Lot 44. Nero Trihemiassarion(?): obverse die incorrectly identified as Burrer p. 150 A8, in fact it is A8a (same obv. as BCD Thessaly II 931.2); previously unpublished reverse die, but now in RPC I (Online) 1440, ex. 4 = G&M 112 (19 Oct 2019), 129;
    • most of the interesting and valuable extended commentary for this and Lot 45 derive from CNG EA 299 (27 Mar 2013), Lot 29, re: the Taurokathapsia and its coinage, but it is slightly edited and extended.
  • Lot 45. Nero Trihemiassarion(?): Incorrect ref. to Burrer (“35 (A9/R23 [sic])”), certainly a new die combination not in Burrer, apparently A8 and R28 (?);
  • Lot 47. Nero Tetrassarion: “Burrer Em. 2, Series 1, Group 2, 57.1 corr. (A20/R41 – this coin, rev. illustrated on pl. 11; arrangement of rev. legend) = Moustaka pl. 12, 129 = RPC I 1441.2 (this coin)”; correcting BCD Thess. II: “BCD Thessaly II 937 corr. (same rev. die, incorrectly citing Burrer 57)”; provenance: Purchased from Baldwin’s, 1968;
  • Lot 48. Nero Triassarion: New (brief) commentary not in previous sales;
  • Lot 50. temp. Nero Triassarion: Rev. variant not in Burrer or previous BCD sales (but see BCD Thessaly II 943.2, err. cited at BCD Thessaly I); new commentary not in previous sales;
  • Lot 51. Nero Tetrassarion: RPC I (Supp. 4) 1445 (this coin illustrated on p. 20); RPC Supplement 4 (2017) was published after the sale; this coin is also the “digital plate coin” in RPC I (Online) 1445;
  • Lot 58. Hadrian Diassarion: Disposition: CNG EA 496 (21 July 2021), Lot 277;
  • Lot 59. temp. Hadrian Assarion: “Burrer Em. 1, Series 2, Group 1, 139.1 (A34/R115 – this coin, illustrated on pl. 19) = Moustaka pl. 12, 153b”;
  • Lot 65. Septimius Severus Triassarion: seemingly not in BCD Thess I or II, or in Burrer; but referencing: “Cf. Burrer, MA–G 11 (Athena driving triga); cf. BCD Thessaly II 967.2 (Nike driving triga)” [Burrer, MA–G is unfortunately unpublished];
  • Lot 75. Caracalla Tetrassarion: Provenance: ex Davissons 2 (30 November 1993), lot 124.
  • Lot 76. Caracalla Tetrassarion: Disposition: CNG EA 475 (26 Aug 2020), Lot 456;
  • Lot 77. Caracalla Triassarion: New commentary not in previous sales.
  • Lot 87. Gallienus Tetrassarion: variant of type apparently only in Rogers, with corr.: “Rogers 126, fig. 50 corr./var. (obv. legend/arrangement of rev. legend; same obv. die)”;
  • Lot 88. Gallienus Tetrassarion: same: “Rogers 126, fig. 50 corr. (obv. legend; same obv. die)”;
  • Lot 91. Gallienus Tetrassarion: absent from BCD Thess I & II, correcting Rogers: “Rogers 131, fig. 52 corr. (rev. described as satyr drinking from cup)”;

BIBLIOGRAPHY

STILL IN PROGRESS, UPDATES COMING.
Many of these are available online as .pdf’s (either public domain or from copyright holder. All .pdf’s are saved offline and occasionally printed in my library (just in case…). Those for which I have hard copies in my library are indicated “(*),” just as they are on my combined Bibliography Page (in serious need of updating).

BCD Thessaly I = Nomos AG, Auction 4, Coins of Thessaly, The BCD Collection (Zürich, 10 May 2011).

BCD Thessaly II (*) = Classical Numismatic Group, Triton XV (parts 1 & 2), The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly (New York, 3 January 2012).

BCD Supplements (useful sales & e-auctions): CNG EA 299, CNG EA 383…

Burrer (*) = Burrer, Friedrich. 1993. Münzprägung und geschichte des thessalischen Bundes in der römischen kaiserzeit bis auf Hadrian (31 v. Chr. – 138 n. Chr.). Saarbrücken: Saarbrücker Dr. und Verl.

  • [Numiswiki entry] Copy in Jackson-Jacobs library is also Ex Library of Hermann Lanz (1910-1998) & son Hubert Lanz, proprietors of Lanz Numismatik which cataloged BCD Korinth (Lanz 105) (*) and BCD Euboia (Lanz 111).

RPC (series) = Burnett, A. (BM), M. Amandry (BNF), C. Howgego (Ash), and J. Mairat (Ash) [General eds., c. 2022]. 1992 – forthcoming. Roman Provincial Coinage. 10 vols. British Museum Press.

  • I,
  • II,
  • III,
  • IV.1,
  • VI,
  • Supplement 1,
  • Combined Supplement 1-3,
  • Supplement 5,
  • Online

Rogers = Rogers, Edgar. 1932. The Copper Coinage of Thessaly. London: Spink & Son.

References I haven’t reviewed:

Burrer, MA-G [Numiswiki entry] (different reference from Burrer’s book cited above; this one cited by BCD, but I’ve never heard of anyone else seeing it)

Moustaka [Numiswiki entry] (1983 dissertation in German on Thessalian religion, cited by BCD multiple times)

If you read (modern) Greek, there is also Stoya’s (2009) chapter in KERMATIA PHILIAS (Touratsoglou’s festschrift) about a few early bronze issues of the Koinon/League.