Freeman & Sear - F&S Mail Bid Sale #11      ancient classic artifacts coins numismatic roman greek Show F&S Mail 
            Bid Sale #11 Lots   Enter Search Term
 
(i.e. Keywords, Catalog ID, etc.)
 

             

      Lot: 80

      (click on image to enlarge)
      G4323
      MACEDONIAN KINGDOM: Alexander III, the Great. 336-323 
      BC. AR drachm (4.15 gm).

      MACEDONIAN KINGDOM: Alexander III, the Great (336-323 
      BC). AR drachm (4.15 gm), uncertain mint in Asia Minor, 
      posthumous issue. Head of young Heracles right in lion 
      skin headdress / Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and 
      scepter, elephant head left in left field. Price -. 
      Unpublished in the scholarly literature. Very rare. Bold 
      style. Extremely fine
      The elephant head symbol may be an allusion to the 
      Battle of the Elephants, in which Antiochus I Soter 
      defeated the Gallic raiders who were terrorizing the 
      cities of western Asia Minor. This association would 
      imply a date of issue after ca. 269 BC (the likely date 
      of the battle), probably in the 260s, perhaps in the 
      250s. Reportedly, however, drachms of this type have 
      been found with coins dating from the late third 
      century, suggesting that the drachms too may be later, 
      and that the elephant alludes to one of the campaigns of 
      Antiochus III in Asia Minor. 
      Estimated Value: $ 350 
 Lot sold for $275, [ approx 206.25 EUR, 143 GBP ] plus 15% buyers fee. 

Re-used by permission of Freeman and Sear, www.freemanandsear.com.