The engraver of the obverse die tried to express the dynamics of the scene. The chlamys flies behind the rider’s back and partially covers the rider’s whip, which points to the rear of the horse due to the position of the rider’s left hand when dismounting.

The rider’s flying chlamys is similarly depicted in a scene on an amphora originating probably from Kamiros in Rhodes, c. 525 BC–500 BC (The British Museum, 1867,0506.44), but the rider on the amphora is also wearing a short chiton. Note that on the Parthenon friezes some riders wear the chlamys only (others wear the chiton only or both garments together, some also a cuirass).

The decorative collar around the horse’s neck may have been intended to keep off the Evil Eye (Anderson, p. 85). A similar ornamental collar is shown on Kastor’s horse on Attic black-figure amphora from c. 540–530 BC signed by Exekias (Gregorian Etruscan Museum, 16757; illustrated in Anderson, pl. 20).

Another type of such collar probably serving the same purpose is mentioned in epigram 6.246 of the Greek Anthology, the author of which is either Philodemos of Gadara (1st century BC) or Marcus Argentarius (1st century AD). Two translations of this epigram:

Charmus from his Isthmian victory dedicates in thy porch, Poseidon, his spurs that urge the horse on its way, the muzzle that fits on its nose, its necklace of teeth, and his willow wand, also the comb that drags the horse’s hair, the whip for its flanks, rough mother of smacking blows. Accept these gifts, god of the steel-blue locks, and crown the son of Lycinus in the great Olympian contest too.

Transl. by William Roger Paton (The Greek Anthology, Vol. I, 1916)

Course-chasing spurs, nostril-hugging muzzle, tooth-bearing breastpiece, and willow wand(?) —these Charmos has dedicated in your porch, Poseidon, because of his Isthmian victory— and the horses‘ curry comb and whip for their rumps, bold mother of whirring sound. So then, O dark-haired one, receive these, and crown the son of Lukinos also for a great Olympian contest.

Transl. by Stuart G. P. Small (Sider 1997, p. 191 ff.)

Kraay 1962, pp. 2-6, divides the Kelenderis staters contained in the so called Kelenderis hoard (probably found in 1957 or shortly before) into 4 series:

1. horseman left, A on the obverse; goat left
2. horseman left, Γ on the obverse; goat left
3. horseman left, no letter on the obverse; goat left or right
4. horseman right; goat right

The numbering of these series corresponds to their chronological order (ibid, p. 6), with the burial of the hoard falling roughly in the year 401 BC (ibid, p. 15).

This coin belongs to Series III (dies O11/R7B), but its obverse die is also linked to Series I and II by some other reverse dies (ibid, dies R2B and R7B). Moreover, this obverse was also used with reverse dies with a goat oriented to the right (ibid, dies R10, R11 and R12), a characteristic of Series IV. The artistic rendering of the horseman also represents a transition from earlier editions of the 5th century BC to more later classical design. This coin therefore represents a transition from the early style of the second half of the 5th century to the classical style that came into use from the late 5th century to the last quarter of the 4th century.