Sale: Nomos 5, Lot: 143. Estimate CHF2500.  Closing Date: Monday, 24 October 2011.  Sold For CHF2750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. Stater (Gold, 8.55 g 7), struck under Seleukos I, Babylon, circa 311-305. Head of Athena to right, wearing triple-crested Corinthian helmet adorned with griffin rushing right on the bowl, pendant earring and pearl necklace. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Nike standing left with her wings spread, holding laurel wreath in her right hand and stylis in her left; to left, ΜΙ; to left below wing, monogram within wreath. Price 3749. Well centered and attractive. Good extremely fine.

On a number of staters from Babylon Price has identified the winged animal on Athena’s helmet as a sphinx. This is certainly true in some cases (see, above, lot XXX) but in others it is clearly a griffin, as here.