Watch List notes:

KINGS OF THRACE. Lysimachos, 305-281 BC. Drachm (Silver, 17 mm, 4.32 g, 12 h), Colophon, 297/6. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΛYΣIMAX[OY] Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to inner left, forepart of lion to left over crecent right; below throne, pentagram. Müller 20 var. Price L28 var. Thompson 127 var. (all with different legend arrangement). A highly interesting and apparently unpublished variety. Flan fault on the obverse and with the reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, good very fine.


This is a particularly interesting variety: other than Thompson 127 and Price L28, where the king's title and name have been placed in a traditional way, the legend arrangement here is already like that of the later Lysimachus types with Alexander on the obverse Athena on the reverse. It is probably a short-living transitional issue that was struck just before the introduction of Lysimachus' new coinage in 297/6.