Home World & Ancient Coins Forum

Ancient Greece (Macedonian Kingdom): silver tetradrachm of Alexander III ("the Great"), po

Ancient Greece (Macedonian Kingdom): silver tetradrachm of Alexander III ("the Great"), posthumous issue, ca. 205-200 BC

Macedonian Kingdom, posthumous silver tetradrachm in the name of Alexander III 'the Great' (336-323 BC). Struck at Herakleia Pontika in Asia Minor, circa 205-200 B.C.
Obverse: head of Herakles right, wearing headdress made from the skin of the Nemean lion. Reverse: name of Alexander; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; two monograms in left field; club in exergue. Die break in exergue.
Price 1284A, 31 mm, 16.72 g.Ex- Triskeles Auctions, Sale Number 315, Lot 33, 4/23/2015.

This posthumous "Alexander the Great" tetradrachm caught my eye for its sharp detail and attractive toning, so I bid on it and won it for exactly the predetermined maximum bid I had in mind. This is the second Alexander tetradrachm I've owned and by far the superior of the two. Alexander's fame was so widespread throughout the ancient world that many kingdoms were still striking coins with his name and image more than a century after his death.

image

Original auction listing

Wikipedia links:
Heraklea Pontika
Alexander the Great
Herakles/Hercules
Nemean lion
Zeus

When posted here, this coin was part of my "Eclectic Box of 20" collection.

Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.

Comments

  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 12,876 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Congrats.
    Looks like you got an attractive piece for an attractive price.

    I like that reverse. The die break adds a lot of interest and my goodness Zeus looks ripped,...eerrr... hammered, as can be.

  • nicholasz219nicholasz219 Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭
    That's a really nice coin, LM. I am still on the lookout for an Alex III silver drachm or tetradrachm since I got that funny one a few months ago. I saw this in the VAuctions sale and thought about it but I figured it would go well over estimate and the estimate would have been a reach for me right now as it was.

    I think you got a great coin there and for a pretty good price as Swampboy said. The toning on the reverse especially is very attractive.
  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,228 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice coin there LM & looks like an expanding ancient collection for you as well. Don't you find it suspicious when one coin, or perhaps three or four mysteriously are sold to you at your max bid (makes me think of Stacks 10-20 years ago).
    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>looks like an expanding ancient collection for you as well >>

    Well, when I started the Box of 20 thing, it was practically ALL ancients, most of which were refugees from my old Roman Twelve Caesars set (much of which ended up going to live with NiceCurrency.)

    Eventually my ancients went away, but they're starting to come back a little. Now that I'm not just limited to Roman Imperials, I can feel free to add some Greeks and some Roman Republicans, which have nicer designs anyway.



    << <i>Don't you find it suspicious when one coin, or perhaps three or four mysteriously are sold to you at your max bid (makes me think of Stacks 10-20 years ago). >>

    I really don't have enough non-eBay auction experience to have noticed that. I did notice that this auction seemed to jump increments so that my max bid automatically became THE max bid on the lot, so apparently there was no proxy bid system like eBay and you end up paying your max regardless? Whatever the case, if there had been one more bid I'd have been out of there. It was sort of a "snipe" in that I placed my second and final bid in the last ten minutes. My first bid was much too low and I knew it would be, but it was a "marker" bid. I'm probably gonna do that on CNG too, since they seem to lack a watchlist feature.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,288 ✭✭✭
    I bought an Alexander The Great Tetradrachm yesterday as well. Mine is Babylon Mint 324-323 BC (the time and place where Alexander died).

    image
    If you are in the Western North Carolina area, please consider visiting our coin shop:

    WNC Coins, LLC
    1987-C Hendersonville Road
    Asheville, NC 28803


    wnccoins.com
  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nicely centered coin with an appealing look, O Dead King. Lotsa bang for the buck in the history department, too! image

    Funny how we both bought Alexander tets within a few hours of each other, for almost the same amount.

    I think mine gets the edge a bit in grade while yours places slightly higher on the historical appeal scale.

    I think I like yours about as much as mine for those very different reasons.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,288 ✭✭✭
    Thank you Z, I've been searching for one from the time and place where Alexander died and that had the look I was after. I figured these were common enough that I could be patient and wait for the right example to show up.
    If you are in the Western North Carolina area, please consider visiting our coin shop:

    WNC Coins, LLC
    1987-C Hendersonville Road
    Asheville, NC 28803


    wnccoins.com
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This can be a "Post Your Alexanders" thread, as far as I'm concerned.

    Post 'em!

    (Yes, even you, Smeagle, though you're bound to put us all to shame.) image

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • ashelandasheland Posts: 22,612 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • TIF2TIF2 Posts: 233
    Lordy, that's a nice coin! image
  • SmEagle1795SmEagle1795 Posts: 2,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great coin, lord! The obverse centering on the rather broad flan and hair detail make it very appealing.



    << <i>(Yes, even you, Smeagle, though you're bound to put us all to shame.) image >>



    image Here's my lifetime tetradrachm:

    image

    Also perhaps of interest is a more recent purchase of mine, a Kamarina tetradrachm. This type served as the stylistic base for the ATG tetradrachms, minted about 100 years earlier:

    image
    Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hmm... it would seem the content of this thread just improved rather exponentially in quality... image

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • everything in here is wonderful imageimage

    nice additions folks
    =Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award 4/28/2014=
  • EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Congrats.
    Looks like you got an attractive piece for an attractive price.

    I like that reverse. The die break adds a lot of interest and my goodness Zeus looks ripped,...eerrr... hammered, as can be. >>



    I have no substantial contribution to this thread other than to say "++" to the quoted text.

    And, to say that the other coins look quite delicious too.

    (to all)
    image

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

  • AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,288 ✭✭✭
    Love the color on yours SmEagle.
    If you are in the Western North Carolina area, please consider visiting our coin shop:

    WNC Coins, LLC
    1987-C Hendersonville Road
    Asheville, NC 28803


    wnccoins.com
  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 12,876 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My posthumous drachm. Kolophon mint

    image
  • HussuloHussulo Posts: 2,953 ✭✭✭
    Great example Lord M. I always wanted to own one if these.
  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,288 ✭✭✭
    Good BBQ in Memphis, much better than Alexandria BBQ.
    If you are in the Western North Carolina area, please consider visiting our coin shop:

    WNC Coins, LLC
    1987-C Hendersonville Road
    Asheville, NC 28803


    wnccoins.com
Sign In or Register to comment.