Sale: Triton XII, Lot: 194. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Monday, 5 January 2009.  Sold For $650. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.00 g, 12h). Uncertain mint in western Asia Minor, or along the Black Sea in Thrace. Struck mid-late 3rd century BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; kantharos in left field. Price 2719 var. (same obv. die as illustration; no royal title in legend); Meydancikkale 505 var. (same obv. die; no royal title in legend). Near EF, lightly toned. Fine style. Unpublished with royal title.

This configuration of the legend, with BAΣIΛEΩΣ and AΛEΞANΔPOY running parallel to either side of Zeus, is found almost exclusively at mints in Thrace and along the Black Sea. However, this coin has an obverse die link with coins Price attributed to an uncertain mint in western Asia Minor (see also lot 202, below). As Price only knew of the Meydancikkale coin, the attribution to western Asia Minor is not certain. The style of these pieces is consistent with issues from the Black Sea area of Thrace in this period as well as issues from western Asia Minor. Further hoard studies may clarify the attribution, which remains uncertain.