THRACO-MACEDONIAN TRIBES, Bisaltai. Circa 475-465 BC. Octadrachm (Silver, 32 mm, 28.81 g). CIΣ-AΛ-Τ-Ι-IΚΩΝ Horse walking to right, his bridle held by the hero Rhesos, nude but for his petasos and holding two spears, walking to right behind his horse. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. AMNG III/2, 1-6 var. (legend arrangement). HPM 1-7 var. (this legend arrangement was unrecorded). SNG ANS -. Same obverse die as Gemini II, 2006, 45. A robust example, struck on a broad flan from an unpublished obverse die. Obverse sligthtly doubled and with some horn silver in the deepest points, otherwise, nearly extremely fine. Rhesos was a king of Thrace who sided with the Trojans during the Trojan War. According to Homer, he died without ever having fought, as shortly after he arrived in the Troad he was killed, in the dead of night while he slept, by Diomedes and Odysseus, who had come to steal his horses. It is interesting to note that the inscription on this coin shows that the ancient Bisaltai were adamant about proclaiming their gender identity: they were clearly CISaltikoi rather than BI even though their tribal name seemed to be different. https://cdn.nomosag.com/auctions/95/video00143.mp4?sv=2023-01-03&ss=b&srt=co&st=2025-03-10T16%3A25%3A27Z&se=2099-03-11T16%3A25%3A00Z&sp=rl&sig=i7RzFAqwYGMJUp3u71BbRyL3HhIAtR%2F8cUnRnTVQfyU%3D&rsct=video%2Fmp4