Unusual Gilded Bronze

Sale: CNG 82, Lot: 411. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 16 September 2009.  Sold For $500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Amyntas III. 393-370/69 BC. Æ Dichalkon (1.92 g, 8h). Aigai or Pella mint. Bearded head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Forepart of boar right; club above. Westermark, Remarks, type 2; SNG ANS 47-8; SNG Alpha Bank 233 (same rev. die). Good VF. Gilding added in ancient times.

The addition of the gilding to this bronze issue is perplexing. In her study of the pre-Philip II regal Macedonian coinage, including a preliminary record of all the bronze coins, Westermark does not mention this phenomena on any specimen she was aware of. Although there is a record of many silver plated coins in this period, there is no evidence, with the possible exception of the present piece, to suggest there was an attempt to distribute a gold-plated issue for any of the kings. Moreover, there are no known gold coins for any of these early kings. Unless further evidence is found, the likeliest explanation is that the gilding was applied for purely aesthetic reasons.