Obverse: Bust of a Young Man Facing Right
Reverse: Bridled Horse Walking to the Right,
Inscription Above Translated as "Phalann"
The ancient city of Phalanna is situated on the
Peneios River, near to Larissa in Thessaly.
Phalanna was the capital of the Perraebi, an
ancient Greek people who for most of their
history were dominated by Thessaly. Most small
city states marked their coinage with their name
in order to keep track of the movements of
people and currency throughout the mainland.
Condition is fine, with evidence of use that does
not conceal the fine quality of the casting.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether
contemporary currencies or artifacts of long
forgotten empires. This stunning hand-struck
coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and
intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in
contemporary machine-made currencies. This
coin is a memorial an ancient city passed from
the hands of civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation.
