Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Auction 99 13 May 2015
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KINGS of MACEDON. temp. Alexander III – Philip III. Circa 324/3-320 BC. AR Tetradrachm (27.5mm, 17.19 g, 3h). In the name of Alexander III. Arados mint. Struck under Menes or Laomedon. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin; tiny B behind neck / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; AP monogram below throne. Price 3308; Duyrat Group IV, Series 1, 111 var. (D32/R37, without B on obv. die); BM Museum No. 2002,0101.749 (ex Charles Hersh). VF, toned, obverse off center. Extremely rare with B on obverse.
Duyrat thought Price 3308 belonged in her Group III, and on p. 15, she notes that she could not locate an example of this issue. However, as the issue has the royal title, it should be in her Group IV. This is now confirmed by the present coin, which is struck from the same dies as her coin no. 111 (D32/R37) = Price pl. 94, 3309b. Interestingly, the B is not present on the obverse of that coin, so it was a later addition to the control marks on the issue. There are a variety of obverse control marks that were used in Duyrat's Groups III and IV (Δ, B, Λ, and Σ), and in the latter phase of Group IV, some of these marks were moved to the reverse die. Their purpose is uncertain, as their appearance on multiple dies precludes their use as die markers, and the wide variance of style across each series likewise suggests they are not artists' signatures.
Duyrat thought Price 3308 belonged in her Group III, and on p. 15, she notes that she could not locate an example of this issue. However, as the issue has the royal title, it should be in her Group IV. This is now confirmed by the present coin, which is struck from the same dies as her coin no. 111 (D32/R37) = Price pl. 94, 3309b. Interestingly, the B is not present on the obverse of that coin, so it was a later addition to the control marks on the issue. There are a variety of obverse control marks that were used in Duyrat's Groups III and IV (Δ, B, Λ, and Σ), and in the latter phase of Group IV, some of these marks were moved to the reverse die. Their purpose is uncertain, as their appearance on multiple dies precludes their use as die markers, and the wide variance of style across each series likewise suggests they are not artists' signatures.