Leu Numismatik AG
Auction 7 24-25 Oct 2020
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MACEDON. Koinon of Macedon. Pseudo-autonomous issue. 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 7.13 g, 12 h), time of Elagabalus to Severus Alexander, 218-235. Veiled and diademed head of Olympias to left. Rev. ΟΛYMΠIAC Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings spread and head to right. Unique and of great historical importance, a tremendously important discovery. Holed and with some minor scrapes, and the flan slightly wavy, otherwise, good fine.
From the Aurum Barbarorum Collection.
Among the greatest surprises in Part II of the Aurum Barbarorum Collection (see below, lots 1857-1933) was the appearance of this highly unusual coin. Clearly it differs from all others in many ways, showing, on the anepigraphic obverse, a beautiful diademed and veiled female head to the left, whereas the reverse boasts an eagle standing with open wings on a thunderbolt. The crucial hint to its interpretation derives from the reverse legend, which provides the name ΟΛYMΠIAC in fine Greek letters: this is none other than Olympias (circa 375-316 BC), mother of Alexander 'the Great'! It now becomes apparent that this is not a Germanic invention, but a hitherto unknown Roman Provincial gold coin from the Koinon of Macedon, which struck an extensive series of bronze and a few extremely rare, pseudo-autonomous gold and silver issues celebrating Alexander 'the Great' and Caracalla in the early to mid 3rd century. This series is linked by modern researchers to the famous Aboukir-medallions, large gold medals showing a variety of motives connected to Alexander and Caracalla (cf. Weisser, B. and Dahmen, K.: Goldene Alexander zum Geschenk, in: KEPMATIA ΦΙΛΙΑΣ. Studies in Honour of Ioannis Touratsoglou. Athens 2009, pp. 343-359. For the date of the series, see pp. 348 ff.). Among these, two types shows a diademed and draped female bust on the obverse (Dressel D, O and P), which numismatists have long suggested to identify as Olympias, Alexander's mother. The appearance of our 'aureus' now confirms this theory by providing the queen's clear name on the reverse, and it is thus of the utmost importance.
The coin is very similar to the unique, but much smaller gold medal of Alexander from the Dr. L. A. Adams Collection (Triton XIX (2016), 2178), which also provides the royal image on an anepigraphic obverse, whereas the reverse shows a lion, the animal of the king's hero Herakles. In the case of Olympias, the reverse is adorned with the eagle of Zeus, an obvious reference to the legend that the father of the gods was also Alexander's true father. It is worth noting that the portrait of Olympias is so similar to her image on Dressel D that the die must either have been cut by the same skilled artist, or else it is a direct copy of the larger medallion. What purpose exactly these unusual coins or medals were struck for is unknown, but a connection to the games in honor of Alexander 'the Great' held by the Macedonian Koinon seems likely. Perhaps the gold and silver pieces, which must have been struck in very limited quantities, were handed out to participants of the agone, with the massive Aboukir-medallions being awarded to the winners and the smaller pieces to their rivals on the subsequent places.
But how did such an odd piece wind up in the environment of the Aurum Barbarorum north of the Danube? The answer most likely lies in the pillaging of the Gothic invasions in the 250s-260s, in the course of which many cities on the Balkans and in Asia Minor were looted. At some point, this piece must have been part of the booty and transported to the 'Barbaricum', were it was perforated to be worn as a pendant in the style of the 'Aurum Barbarorum', thus unwittingly preserving it for posterity.
From the Aurum Barbarorum Collection.
Among the greatest surprises in Part II of the Aurum Barbarorum Collection (see below, lots 1857-1933) was the appearance of this highly unusual coin. Clearly it differs from all others in many ways, showing, on the anepigraphic obverse, a beautiful diademed and veiled female head to the left, whereas the reverse boasts an eagle standing with open wings on a thunderbolt. The crucial hint to its interpretation derives from the reverse legend, which provides the name ΟΛYMΠIAC in fine Greek letters: this is none other than Olympias (circa 375-316 BC), mother of Alexander 'the Great'! It now becomes apparent that this is not a Germanic invention, but a hitherto unknown Roman Provincial gold coin from the Koinon of Macedon, which struck an extensive series of bronze and a few extremely rare, pseudo-autonomous gold and silver issues celebrating Alexander 'the Great' and Caracalla in the early to mid 3rd century. This series is linked by modern researchers to the famous Aboukir-medallions, large gold medals showing a variety of motives connected to Alexander and Caracalla (cf. Weisser, B. and Dahmen, K.: Goldene Alexander zum Geschenk, in: KEPMATIA ΦΙΛΙΑΣ. Studies in Honour of Ioannis Touratsoglou. Athens 2009, pp. 343-359. For the date of the series, see pp. 348 ff.). Among these, two types shows a diademed and draped female bust on the obverse (Dressel D, O and P), which numismatists have long suggested to identify as Olympias, Alexander's mother. The appearance of our 'aureus' now confirms this theory by providing the queen's clear name on the reverse, and it is thus of the utmost importance.
The coin is very similar to the unique, but much smaller gold medal of Alexander from the Dr. L. A. Adams Collection (Triton XIX (2016), 2178), which also provides the royal image on an anepigraphic obverse, whereas the reverse shows a lion, the animal of the king's hero Herakles. In the case of Olympias, the reverse is adorned with the eagle of Zeus, an obvious reference to the legend that the father of the gods was also Alexander's true father. It is worth noting that the portrait of Olympias is so similar to her image on Dressel D that the die must either have been cut by the same skilled artist, or else it is a direct copy of the larger medallion. What purpose exactly these unusual coins or medals were struck for is unknown, but a connection to the games in honor of Alexander 'the Great' held by the Macedonian Koinon seems likely. Perhaps the gold and silver pieces, which must have been struck in very limited quantities, were handed out to participants of the agone, with the massive Aboukir-medallions being awarded to the winners and the smaller pieces to their rivals on the subsequent places.
But how did such an odd piece wind up in the environment of the Aurum Barbarorum north of the Danube? The answer most likely lies in the pillaging of the Gothic invasions in the 250s-260s, in the course of which many cities on the Balkans and in Asia Minor were looted. At some point, this piece must have been part of the booty and transported to the 'Barbaricum', were it was perforated to be worn as a pendant in the style of the 'Aurum Barbarorum', thus unwittingly preserving it for posterity.