Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Auction 117 19-20 May 2021
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KINGS of MACEDON. temp. Alexander III – Philip III. Circa 325/3-319/8 BC. AV Hemistater (14mm, 4.29 g, 1h). In the name and types of Alexander III. Uncertain mint in Macedon or Kyrene. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with serpent, and necklace / [AΛ]EΞANΔPO[Y], Nike standing left, holding wreath in extended right hand and cradling stylis in left arm; in left field, vertical thunderbolt above monogram. Lanz 141, lot 145 (same dies); otherwise unpublished. Light marks, slightly off center on reverse, small scratch on cheek repaired. VF. Extremely rare, apparently the second known.
From the Collection of a Northern California Gentleman. Ex Triton II (1 December 1998), lot 314; Sotheby's (23 April 1998), lot 313.
In Triton II, the mint was identified as Ephesos, presumably based on the monogram, but this is unlikely. Hemistaters of Alexander type are quite rare, and are mostly from the various drachm mints in western Asia Minor, late in Alexander's reign or early in the reign of his successor, Philip III. However, Ephesos was not an active mint of Alexander type coinage until Demetrios I Poliorketes seized the city in 301 (if Price 1874 is correctly placed there), followed shortly thereafter by Lysimachos, whereupon the mint produced issues of Price 1875–8. Although one gold issue is attributable to this period, it was marked not only with the ethnic of the city, but also its ubiquitous badge, a bee, which was present on all of the Alexander type issues under Lysimachos. On the present coin, the symbol is a thunderbolt, which is typically found on the left field of Alexander type gold from the Macedonian mints, where it was sometimes accompanied by a monogram (see Price 191–2). Other, though less likely, mints could be Miletos and Alexandreia (Memphis in Price), both of which struck gold hemistaters and used a thunderbolt on some gold staters, often with other symbols or monograms. However, the Alexander series of both of these mints are well studied and documented, leaving little possibility for this issue to fit within their known issues.
From the Collection of a Northern California Gentleman. Ex Triton II (1 December 1998), lot 314; Sotheby's (23 April 1998), lot 313.
In Triton II, the mint was identified as Ephesos, presumably based on the monogram, but this is unlikely. Hemistaters of Alexander type are quite rare, and are mostly from the various drachm mints in western Asia Minor, late in Alexander's reign or early in the reign of his successor, Philip III. However, Ephesos was not an active mint of Alexander type coinage until Demetrios I Poliorketes seized the city in 301 (if Price 1874 is correctly placed there), followed shortly thereafter by Lysimachos, whereupon the mint produced issues of Price 1875–8. Although one gold issue is attributable to this period, it was marked not only with the ethnic of the city, but also its ubiquitous badge, a bee, which was present on all of the Alexander type issues under Lysimachos. On the present coin, the symbol is a thunderbolt, which is typically found on the left field of Alexander type gold from the Macedonian mints, where it was sometimes accompanied by a monogram (see Price 191–2). Other, though less likely, mints could be Miletos and Alexandreia (Memphis in Price), both of which struck gold hemistaters and used a thunderbolt on some gold staters, often with other symbols or monograms. However, the Alexander series of both of these mints are well studied and documented, leaving little possibility for this issue to fit within their known issues.