Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XX 29-30 Oct 2020
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Kings of Thrace, Lysimachos AV Stater. Lysimacheia, circa 297-281 BC. Diademed head of Alexander right / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΛΥΣΙΜΑΚΟΥ, Athena Nikephoros seated left, spear over shoulder, resting left arm on shield decorated with lion head; in inner left field, small lion head facing left over K•, MYO monogram on throne. Müller -, cf. 46 (tetradrachm, same symbols); Thompson -; Prospero 250 (same dies); HGC 3.2, 1743a. 8.51g, 20mm, 11h.
Fleur De Coin; as perfect an example as one could ever hope to find. Extremely Rare; one of only two examples offered at auction in the past 20 years, and unpublished in the standard references.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction 92 (An Important Selection of Greek, Roman and Byzantine Coins), 23 May 2016, lot 162.
"One of the most remarkable of the 'Successors' of Alexander" in the words of D. Sear, Lysimachos became King of Thrace in 306 BC, following a period of personal service to Alexander as somatophylax (bodyguard) to the famous conqueror (Sear, Greek Coins and Their Values, Volume 2, 1978, p. 634). According to Justin, Lysimachos gained favour with Alexander, despite disobeying the Macedonian king in assisting condemned philosopher Kallisthenes, when he proved himself capable of killing a lion with his bare hands (Justin, Epitome of Pompey Trogue's "Philippic histories", 15.3). For such a feat, which was also narrated by Pausanias, Lysimachos was "exalted far above any nobility of birth by the proofs which he had given of personal merit" (Pausanias, Description of Greece, 1.9.5; Justin, Epitome of Pompey Trogue's "Philippic histories", 15.3). A lion head appears on the shield of Athena Nikephoros on this coin reverse and Lysimachos adopted the front part of a lion as a numismatic symbol above the monogram on many of his coins (e.g. silver drachm, Thompson 65), perhaps alluding to this story of his heroic strength and bravery.
Types like this beautifully detailed stater stand out among the coinages of the diadochi due to the obverse portrait: the Thracian king continued to feature Alexander on his gold staters and silver tetradrachms even after the other diadochi had ceased to depict Alexander. Lysimachos' coinage represents Alexander as a distinguished and deified figure, his diadem and ram's horns signifying his royal and divine status as king and son of Zeus Ammon. K. Dahmen identifies this notable numismatic design as an assertion of Lysimachos' particular legitimacy as a successor to Alexander, elevating the living Lysimachos by association with the qualities of the late Macedonian conqueror (Dahmen, The Legend of Alexander the Great on Greek and Roman Coins, 2007, p.17). The reverse imagery attests to the Thracian king's personal successes: the depiction of the war goddess Athena, with her Nike attribute crowning Lysimachos' inscribed name, can be understood to refer to the king's military achievements, specifically perhaps the Battle at Ipsos in 301 BC (O. Morkholm, Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamea, 1991, p.81).
Prior to the victory at Ipsos, as part of an allied coalition of successors, Lysimachos had only produced limited issues of tetrobols at Lysimacheia c. 306-301 BC. He had founded the city in the Chersonese in 309 BC, and with this military success Lysimachos gained considerably greater lands in western Asia Minor which included wealthy mint cities like Lampsakos and Abydos (O. Morkholm, Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamea, 1991, p.81). Lysimacheia, where this coin was minted, became his principal European mint (Sear, Greek Coins and Their Values, Volume 1, 1978, p.162), but nonetheless gold staters in the name of Lysimachos, displaying an obverse Alexander portrait which stands out among the coinages of the successors, are very rare in high grade and consequently greatly sought after.
Fleur De Coin; as perfect an example as one could ever hope to find. Extremely Rare; one of only two examples offered at auction in the past 20 years, and unpublished in the standard references.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction 92 (An Important Selection of Greek, Roman and Byzantine Coins), 23 May 2016, lot 162.
"One of the most remarkable of the 'Successors' of Alexander" in the words of D. Sear, Lysimachos became King of Thrace in 306 BC, following a period of personal service to Alexander as somatophylax (bodyguard) to the famous conqueror (Sear, Greek Coins and Their Values, Volume 2, 1978, p. 634). According to Justin, Lysimachos gained favour with Alexander, despite disobeying the Macedonian king in assisting condemned philosopher Kallisthenes, when he proved himself capable of killing a lion with his bare hands (Justin, Epitome of Pompey Trogue's "Philippic histories", 15.3). For such a feat, which was also narrated by Pausanias, Lysimachos was "exalted far above any nobility of birth by the proofs which he had given of personal merit" (Pausanias, Description of Greece, 1.9.5; Justin, Epitome of Pompey Trogue's "Philippic histories", 15.3). A lion head appears on the shield of Athena Nikephoros on this coin reverse and Lysimachos adopted the front part of a lion as a numismatic symbol above the monogram on many of his coins (e.g. silver drachm, Thompson 65), perhaps alluding to this story of his heroic strength and bravery.
Types like this beautifully detailed stater stand out among the coinages of the diadochi due to the obverse portrait: the Thracian king continued to feature Alexander on his gold staters and silver tetradrachms even after the other diadochi had ceased to depict Alexander. Lysimachos' coinage represents Alexander as a distinguished and deified figure, his diadem and ram's horns signifying his royal and divine status as king and son of Zeus Ammon. K. Dahmen identifies this notable numismatic design as an assertion of Lysimachos' particular legitimacy as a successor to Alexander, elevating the living Lysimachos by association with the qualities of the late Macedonian conqueror (Dahmen, The Legend of Alexander the Great on Greek and Roman Coins, 2007, p.17). The reverse imagery attests to the Thracian king's personal successes: the depiction of the war goddess Athena, with her Nike attribute crowning Lysimachos' inscribed name, can be understood to refer to the king's military achievements, specifically perhaps the Battle at Ipsos in 301 BC (O. Morkholm, Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamea, 1991, p.81).
Prior to the victory at Ipsos, as part of an allied coalition of successors, Lysimachos had only produced limited issues of tetrobols at Lysimacheia c. 306-301 BC. He had founded the city in the Chersonese in 309 BC, and with this military success Lysimachos gained considerably greater lands in western Asia Minor which included wealthy mint cities like Lampsakos and Abydos (O. Morkholm, Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamea, 1991, p.81). Lysimacheia, where this coin was minted, became his principal European mint (Sear, Greek Coins and Their Values, Volume 1, 1978, p.162), but nonetheless gold staters in the name of Lysimachos, displaying an obverse Alexander portrait which stands out among the coinages of the successors, are very rare in high grade and consequently greatly sought after.