Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature Sale 3048 11 August 2016
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MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Philip III Arrhidaeus (323-317 BC). AV stater (18mm, 8.55 gm, 8h). Babylon, ca. 323-318/7 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet ornamented with coiled serpent / ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ, Nike standing left, holding wreath in right hand and stylis cradled in arm; ΛY below left wing, M in outer left field. Price P180. Perfectly centered, struck in high relief, and fully lustrous. NGC MS 5/5 - 4/5. Born ca. 359 BC, Arrhidaeus was the illegitimate son of Philip II, king of Macedon, by a Thessalian dancer. According to Plutarch, a poisoning attempt by Philip's jealous wife Olympias left Arrhidaeus mentally retarded and subject to epileptic fits. When Alexander the Great died in Babylon in June, 323 BC, a council of generals met and determined that Arrhidaeus would be crowned as Philip III, and would reign jointly with the infant Alexander IV. However, neither had any real power, this being held by a succession of Macedonian generals. The new king proved as compliant and simple-minded as the generals had hoped, but in 320 BC, Arrhidaeus married a niece of Philip II's, Eurydice, who had more than enough ambition for the both of them. In 317 BC, she threw her support behind Cassander's successful bid to replace Polyperchon as regent. Cassander, in turn, left her and Arrhidaeus in charge of Macedon while he went on campaign in Asia. Popyperchon joined forces with Alexander's mother Olympias and invaded Macedon. Eurydice and Philip raised an army to oppose them, but their soldiers refused to fight. Arrhidaeus and Eurydice were captured; Olympias ordered Arrhidaeus to be executed and compelled Eurydice to commit suicide.
Estimate: 5000-6000 USD
MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Philip III Arrhidaeus (323-317 BC). AV stater (18mm, 8.55 gm, 8h). Babylon, ca. 323-318/7 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet ornamented with coiled serpent / ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ, Nike standing left, holding wreath in right hand and stylis cradled in arm; ΛY below left wing, M in outer left field. Price P180. Perfectly centered, struck in high relief, and fully lustrous. NGC MS 5/5 - 4/5. Born ca. 359 BC, Arrhidaeus was the illegitimate son of Philip II, king of Macedon, by a Thessalian dancer. According to Plutarch, a poisoning attempt by Philip's jealous wife Olympias left Arrhidaeus mentally retarded and subject to epileptic fits. When Alexander the Great died in Babylon in June, 323 BC, a council of generals met and determined that Arrhidaeus would be crowned as Philip III, and would reign jointly with the infant Alexander IV. However, neither had any real power, this being held by a succession of Macedonian generals. The new king proved as compliant and simple-minded as the generals had hoped, but in 320 BC, Arrhidaeus married a niece of Philip II's, Eurydice, who had more than enough ambition for the both of them. In 317 BC, she threw her support behind Cassander's successful bid to replace Polyperchon as regent. Cassander, in turn, left her and Arrhidaeus in charge of Macedon while he went on campaign in Asia. Popyperchon joined forces with Alexander's mother Olympias and invaded Macedon. Eurydice and Philip raised an army to oppose them, but their soldiers refused to fight. Arrhidaeus and Eurydice were captured; Olympias ordered Arrhidaeus to be executed and compelled Eurydice to commit suicide.
Estimate: 5000-6000 USD