SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles. 317-289 BC. AV Tetrobol – Dekadrachm (15mm, 4.30 g, 11h). Struck circa 317-310 BC. Head of Apollo left, wearing laurel wreath; grain ear to right / Charioteer, holding kentron in extended right hand, reins in left, driving galloping biga right; triskeles below, ΣYP-AK-OΣ-[I-ΩN] around. Bérend,
l’or pl. 9, 1; BAR Issue 1; HGC 2, 1276; SNG ANS 553 (same dies); SNG Lloyd 1472 (same dies); Basel –; Gulbenkian 327 var. (symbol on obv.). EF, lightly toned, some light marks under tone. Rare.
Ex Roma II (2 October 2011), lot 84.
There can be little doubt that the prototype for Agathokles’ issue of gold dekadrachms is the gold stater introduced by the Macedonian king Philip II and continued by his successors for at least two decades after his death, down to approximately the time when Agathokles came to power in Syracuse. Agathokles likely chose Philip’s design because it was familiar to Greek mercenaries, which he often had cause to recruit.
