Magnesia (BC 155-145) Octobol

ca 155-145 BC. AR Octobol (5.50g, 1h), Dionysios son of Demetrios. Armored cavalryman, wearing helmet, holding couched lance in his right hand and with his cloak flowing back from his shoulders, riding horse prancing to right; Δ below / ΜΑΓΝΗΤΩΝ ΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ, bull butting left, within circular maeander pattern. Very rare. Virtually as struck. Ex Gemini I (1/2005), 162 and Lanz 102 (5/2001), 267, and from the collections of The Johns Hopkins University and J. W. Garrett, Bank Leu and Numismatic Fine Arts (10/1984), 266, C. S. Bement, Naville VII (6/1924), 1458 and T. Prowe, Egger 46 (5/1914), 949, and ex Hirsch 16 (12/1906), 636.

The letter delta on the obverse is the denomination mark and stands for four diobols or an octobol (smaller pieces valued at two and four obols are also known). These coins were primarily for local use at the time when the city produced its extensive issues of stephanophoric tetradrachms.