Unique 1/8 Stater

Triton XIV, Lot: 78. Estimate $10000. Sold for $26000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. temp. Alexander III – Philip III. Circa 325-319 BC. AV 1/8 Stater (9mm, 1.07 g, 8h). In the name of Alexander III. Uncertain mint in Macedon. Head of Athena right, wearing triple-crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a snake and double banded necklace / AΛEΞ-A-NΔPOY, kantharos; small Δ to right of base. Unpublished. Good VF, minor edge marks. Unique.

This coin is a new denomination associated with the kantharos group of Alexander type gold, for which distaters, staters, and hemistaters were previously known (Price 167-9). An 1/8 stater is known for the thunderbolt group (Price 163-6). The control mark for each group, thunderbolt and kantharos, respectively, replaced Nike as the reverse type on the 1/8 staters, probably as a consequence of the constraints of the small space on the dies.