THE COLLECTION
RESOURCES
KINGS of MACEDON
PHILIP II
359-336 BC

                AR Drachm (3.42 g, 16mm, 4).
      Mint: Amphipolis.
      Struck: 356-355 BC.
      Obv: [no legend]
                Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress.
      Rev: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ
                Horseman riding left, holding palm and raising right hand;
                Thunderbolt below, ΔΗ in exergue.
      Ref: Le Rider pl. 23, 22; SNG ANS 461; SNG Alpha Bank 282 var.
                (control mark); Winterthur 1463 (same rev. die).
      Pedig: Ex Münzen & Medallien GmbH 10 (22 Mar 2002), lot 176.

Notes: According to LeRider, this mint/control mark denotes the first issue of Philip's coinage minted at Amphipolis (issue IA). M. Price's rearrangement of LeRider's mint scheme would place this coin in the first issue of the mint of Pella in 348 BC (see previous lot for discussion). Other published specimens: SNG Copenhagen 567-8 var. (control marks); SNG Berry 123 var. (same); Pozzi 1652 var. (same); Winterthur 1463 (same reverse die).

ALEXANDER III 'the Great'
336-323 BC

                AR Drachm (4.28 g, 16mm, 12).
      Mint: Babylon.
      Struck: Under Stamenes or Archon, circa 325/4 BC.
      Obv: [no legend]
                Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress.
      Rev: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ
                Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; Φ in left field,
                M below throne.
      Ref: Price 3580; Waggoner dies 13/— (unlisted rev. die).
      Pedig: Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 425 (25
                July 2018), lot 63.

Notes: This coin is from the sole drachm issue from the first series of Alexander coinage at Babylon, and may be only the second example known. Waggoner records a single specimen, in the Turin museum. There are no examples in the Pella database, nor CoinArchives (other than the present coin). Only the Turin piece is in the ANS Photofile. Price dated the coinage to 331-325 BC, but Le Rider has more convincingly argued that the coinage at Babylon likely did not begin until 325/4 BC..


                AR Drachm (4.23 g, 16mm, 8).
      Mint: Babylon.
      Struck: Under Stamenes or Archon, circa 324/3 BC.
      Obv: [no legend]
                Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress.
      Rev: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ
                Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; M in left field, monogram
                below throne.
      Ref: Price 3604; Seleucus I Hoard 1294 (this coin).
      Pedig: 2005 Commerce ("Selucus I") Hoard (CH X, 265).

Notes: Lifetime issue, struck at Babylon, during the time Alexander was there (and died). According to Price's introduction to the 'Babylon' mint, it is possible that the large "second group" (or series), to which this coin belongs, may have been struck at the mint in Susa, rather than Babylon (based on stylistic and logistical considerations). Also notible is that while the tetradrachm issues of this series are numerous, there are only two issue of drachms..

ANTIGONOS II Gonatas
277/6-239 BC

                AR Drachm (4.06 g, 17mm, 2).
      Mint: Amphipolis.
      Struck: Circa 274/1-260/55 BC.
      Obv: [no legend]
                Horned head of Pan left, with lagobolon over shoulder, in
                the center of a Macedonian shield.
      Rev: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΓΟΝΟΥ
                Athena Alkidemos, seen from behind, advancing left, shield
                decorated with aegis on left arm, preparing to cast thunderbolt
                held aloft in right hand; crested Macedonian helmet to inner
                left, HP monogram to inner right.
      Ref: Panagopoulou Period I, 152 (O1/R1) = BM Inv. 1886, 1111.1;
                otherwise unpublished.
      Pedig: Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 336 (8
                October 2014), lot 49.

Notes: Although the Gonatas' Pan-Athena tetradrachms are quite common, this is only the second known example of a drachm. The BM specimen has been in their collection since 1888, but had not been published until appearing recently on their website.