THESSALY. Larissa. Circa 370-360 BC. Drachm (Silver, 18 mm, 6.00 g, 12 h). ΑΛΕΥ Head of Aleuas facing slightly to left, wearing conical helmet ornamented with wings and ear flaps; to right, double axe. Rev. ΛΑΡΙΣΑΙΑ / ΕΛΛΑ Eagle, with closed wings, standing left on thunderbolt, head turned back to right. BCD Thessaly I 1135 (same dies). BCD Thessaly II 185 (same dies). Herrmann, Group VIII, pl. VII, 11. HGC 4, 438. Lorber, Thessalian, 94. Very rare and among the finest known examples. A lightly toned and attractive example of this very unusual issue. Minor edge split, otherwise, good very fine.



This wonderful drachm features a striking portrait of Aleuas I, the Red-Haired (Ἀλεύας ὁ Πυρρός), depicted in a conical helmet adorned with wings and ear flaps, facing three-quarters to the left. Aleuas I was the semi-legendary progenitor of the Aleuads, the influential family that ruled over the Thessalian Larissa. His identity is clearly indicated by the inscription ΑΛΕΥ, while the reverse displays the ethnic ΛΑΡΙΣΑΙΑ alongside the unusual inscription ΕΛΛΑ.

AIt has been suggested that ΕΛΛΑ refers to Hellanokrates, a name known to have been used by the Aleuads. According to Aristotle, a Larissaean aristocrat of this name was involved in the assassination of the Macedonian King Archelaos I around 399 BC (Aristot. pol. 5.1311b). Although it is unclear whether this Hellanokrates issued this very rare type several decades later, or one of his descendants, the combination of Aleuas’ portrait, the signature of the Aleuad aristocrat, and the use of the dative case (instead of the usual genitive) suggests that our Hellanokrates may have financed the coin’s emission as a form of public benefaction to his city. If this interpretation is correct, ΛΑΡΙΣΑΙΑ / ΕΛΛΑ can be understood as 'Hellanokrates [to the] Larissaeans'.