Thessaly. Pelinna. Circa 400–344 BC. AR Drachm

Thessaly. Pelinna. Circa 400–344 BC. AR Drachm (21 mm, 5.93 g). Obv. Horseman right, wearing petasos and chlamys, carrying vertical lance; below, ΙΑ. Rev. [ΠΕΛΙΝΝΑΙΟΝ]. Warrior charging left, wearing petasos, armed with spear in right hand, two additional spears and a round shield in left. Refs: BMC Thessaly 4; Weber 2885; Traité pl. CCXC, 16; BCD Thessaly I, 1428.8 (this coin). A rare and highly distinctive issue of Pelinna, a fortified city of Thessaly situated on the left bank of the Peneios. The types reflect both the city’s equestrian traditions and its military character: the obverse horseman recalls the famed Thessalian cavalry, while the reverse depicts a warrior advancing into combat, laden with arms and characterised by his petasos. Such martial iconography leaves no doubt as to Pelinna’s proud self-image in the 4th century BC, when Thessalian poleis asserted their autonomy amidst the shifting balance of power between local dynasts and Macedonian overlords. The combination of equestrian and hoplite motifs is unique to Pelinna’s coinage and may allude to the city’s dual capacity for cavalry and infantry levies, both of which were vital to Thessaly’s role as a supplier of troops in wider Greek warfare. The use of the petasos for both figures perhaps reflects an idealised civic costume, setting the imagery apart from the more pan-Hellenic martial iconography employed by neighbouring cities. Condition: In unusually fine preservation for this difficult issue; light porosity, otherwise sharply struck and well centred. Good Very Fine. Provenance: ★ Ex BCD Collection. Ex Hess-Leu 11 (25 March 1959), lot 187; Leu 30 (28 April 1982), lot 103; Nomos 4 (17 May 2011), BCD Thessaly I, part of lot 1428.