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      Lot: 87

      (click on image to enlarge)
      MACEDONIAN KINGDOM: Alexander III, the Great. 336-323 
      BC. AR drachm (4.15 gm).

      MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Alexander III, the Great (336-323 
      BC). Silver drachm (4.15 gm). Uncertain mint in Asia 
      Minor, posthumous issue, third century BC. Head of young 
      Heracles right in lion skin headdress / [A]LEXANDRO[U], 
      Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle on extended right 
      hand and scepter in left, elephant head three quarters 
      left in left field. Unpublished. Extremely fine 

      Still another issue from the mint of the three preceding 
      lots (84-86). The elephant head symbol may be an 
      allusion to the Battle of the Elephants (ca. 269 BC), in 
      which Antiochus I defeated the Gallic raiders who were 
      terrorizing the cities of western Asia Minor. The 
      grateful cities acclaimed Antiochus Soter (Savior), and 
      his victory was celebrated in poetry and by the 
      manufacture of terracotta elephant statuettes at Myrina. 
      If the elephant head symbol of our drachm also 
      commemorates this famous victory, it would probably 
      imply a date of issue in the 260s or 250s. Reportedly, 
      however, drachms of this type have been found with 
      tetradrachms dating from the late third century, 
      suggesting that the drachms may also be of this period, 
      in which case the elephant may allude to one of the 
      campaigns of Antiochus III in Asia Minor. 
      Estimated Value: $ 1,000 
...Sold for $600 USD [ approx 456 EUR, 318 GBP ] plus 15% buyers fee. 

Gemini I Auction Closed Jan 11-12, 2005. 

Re-used by permission of Freeman & Sear (www.freemanandsear.com) 
    and Harlan J Berk (www.harlanjberk.com).