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Macedonia: bronze AE15, post-Alexander III interregnum, ca. 288-277 BC
lordmarcovan
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Macedonia: bronze AE15, post-Alexander III interregnum, ca. 288-277 BC
Obverse- facing gorgon at center of ornamented Macedonian shield.
Reverse- B-A to left and right of Macedonian helmet, caduceus below.
I was already a fan of sandy "desert" patina when I spotted this, and had flirted a little with inexpensive Greek bronze and small silver. This coin begins a new "serious" Greek collection for me, and a brand new avenue of learning. Not only does it have loads of character, but it was also quite inexpensive. And it has an illustrious history, since it was issued just after the death of Alexander the Great. I'm becoming surprised at the amount of affordable ancient Greek coins available on my limited budget. This one didn't quite make the "under $50" price tier but it was significantly less than $100. Maybe once in a while I'll be able to splurge and get a nice big fat tetradrachm or two, but most of the time I'll be buying attractive small pieces like this. The fact that many of these pieces are teeny-tiny doesn't bother me much. In fact, one has to admire the ancient engravers all the more for what they did with such a small working area! This one isn't as tiny as some of the silver obol fractions and such.
15 mm, 4.1 g. Ex-bargainbinancients.com, 5/15/14.
Original seller page
When posted, this coin was part of my new Ancient Greek & Roman Provincial Collection.
Obverse- facing gorgon at center of ornamented Macedonian shield.
Reverse- B-A to left and right of Macedonian helmet, caduceus below.
I was already a fan of sandy "desert" patina when I spotted this, and had flirted a little with inexpensive Greek bronze and small silver. This coin begins a new "serious" Greek collection for me, and a brand new avenue of learning. Not only does it have loads of character, but it was also quite inexpensive. And it has an illustrious history, since it was issued just after the death of Alexander the Great. I'm becoming surprised at the amount of affordable ancient Greek coins available on my limited budget. This one didn't quite make the "under $50" price tier but it was significantly less than $100. Maybe once in a while I'll be able to splurge and get a nice big fat tetradrachm or two, but most of the time I'll be buying attractive small pieces like this. The fact that many of these pieces are teeny-tiny doesn't bother me much. In fact, one has to admire the ancient engravers all the more for what they did with such a small working area! This one isn't as tiny as some of the silver obol fractions and such.
15 mm, 4.1 g. Ex-bargainbinancients.com, 5/15/14.
Original seller page
When posted, this coin was part of my new Ancient Greek & Roman Provincial Collection.
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Comments
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
<< <i>What a neat design. Question - does this "sandy" look get ever cleaned or it is generally left in its original state? >>
its a good thing, like toning, see how it makes the high points really pop
so much so that people fake desert "patina" by gluing sand on the coin
World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
this one is showing the aegis or breastplate of Athena, Alexander also wore this piece
btw the B-A I imagine stands for BASILEUS ALEXANDROY (of King Alexander)
fantastic coin if it's a lifetime issue, first one I've seen but that's not saying much since I've only been doing this since last May
He dates this Gorgon type to c. 288-277 BC. And about a coin exactly like lordmarcovan's coin, with the same markings, he adds:
"The specimens of this issue with caduceus marking exhibit a high proportion of vertical die alignment, which could indicate a civic rather than a regal mint. The mint city may have been Neapolis, where the Gorgonian was very commonly used."
BTW, the symbol opposite the caduceus on lordmarcovan's coin is a merged NK. The second vertical upright of the N is also the shared upright of the K. The K part is off the coin.
<< <i>That's sort of a happy looking Gorgon. >>
Is, isn't it? Very whimsical. Looks like a cartoon character. And unlike many, I usually don't care for the gorgon-faced designs much. But this one made me smile.
<< <i>... does this "sandy" look get ever cleaned or it is generally left in its original state? >>
I'm sure it does, but those who are smart clean the coin just enough and then back off. As NC said, the right patina on an ancient bronze is like toning on a silver piece- it can greatly enhance its value. I love this kind of toning but also like some of the green patinas, too.
Determined- thanks for the info. So ca. 288-277 BC would certainly make this a posthumous issue, then. I guess the denominaton would be quarter-obol?
(I have SO much to learn.)
And so the Interregnum shield/helmet bronzes were issued anonymously. Unlike the bronzes under the rulers which usually had their monogram on the shield. This adds to Mathisen saying that this coin may be a civic issue rather than a regal one because there was no ruler at that time.
BTW, I think it's a great idea for a collection of inexpensive Greek bronze and small silver. There's so much out there.
If you haven't been there yet this page of Reid Goldsborough's is a good start on the bronzes of Alexander the Great.
Alexander the Great Bronzes
But that stinks. *@%#ing thieves.
I will be purchasing a small silver obol instead, which has some old collection cabinet toning. Stay tuned.
Funny- that's the second time in about two months that I've gotten a refund because a dealer had my purchase stolen at a show. Both times I think I ended up better off for it, though.