247, Lot: 53. Estimate $100. Sold for $85. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Philip III Arrhidaios. 323-317 BC. AR Drachm (15mm, 4.27 g, 3h). Ekbatana(?) mint. Struck under Peithon. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; Δ in left field, ZΩ below throne. Price P222; Seleucus I Hoard 1665 (this coin, illustrated). VF, lightly toned. Extremely rare.

Ex 2005 Unknown Findspot (“Seleucus I”) Hoard (CH 10.265).

As with most of the eastern Alexandrine mints, there has been little study of the pre-Seleukid issues at Ekbatana. Unlike the other mints, though, only three issues are possible for the pre-Seleukid coinage at Ekbatana: Price 3956, P221, and P222. The style and hoard context of these coins make their placement at an eastern mint certain, but their attribution to Ekbatana is not firm. Price sees a connection of the Zo- of these issues and the Zod- of the Seleukid issues, but this has not yet been conclusively proven. Interestingly, though Alexander placed his treasury at Ekbatana, no coins are known to even possibly belong there during his lifetime. Therefore, if the placement of these Zo- issues are confirmed to belong at Ekbatana, they would be the earliest Alexandrine coinage there.