Triton XVII, Lot: 177. Estimate $5000. Sold for $3250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Philip V. 221-179 BC. AR Tetradrachm (32mm, 16.82 g, 11h). Pella or Amphipolis mint. Struck circa 220-211 BC. Diademed head right / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Athena Alkidemos, seen from behind, advancing left, shield decorated with star on left arm, preparing to cast thunderbolt held aloft in right hand; ΣP monogram to inner left, EP monogram to inner right. Mamroth, Philip 1; SNG Alpha Bank 1050; SNG München 1124 (same obv. die); SNG Saroglos 934; Rhousopoulos 1188 = Jameson 1011 (same dies). VF, lightly toned, small scratch in field on reverse. Rare.

From the RAJ Collection, purchased in 1999 from F. Shore.

This tetradrachm is from Philip’s first series of silver coinage, and features the first Macedonian royal portrait since the issues of his great-grandfather Demetrios I Poliorketes in the 290s BC. While the style of portraiture in Macedonian coinage was traditionally sub-par in comparison with those of Asia Minor, these portraits of Philip are among the most beautiful Hellenistic portraits, obviously engraved by master celators. The reverse features Athena Alkidemos, which was the traditional reverse type used on the tetradrachms of his grandfather, Antigonos II Gonatas. This first series of tetradrachms was struck on the Attic standard, and was replaced by a new coinage in 211 BC, with completely novel types, struck on the Macedonian standard. Although this first series is traditionally dated to a period of nine years, it most likely was a very short issue struck during the Social War (220-217 BC) (see EHC, p. 135).

INTRO TO PHILIP V: Philip V was the son of the Macedonian king Demetrios II Aitolikos. He was only nine at the time of his father's death in 239 BC, so the kingdom passed to his cousin, Antigonos III Doson, who ruled until 221 BC. The entirety of Philip’s reign was devoted to maintaining the supremacy of Macedon in Greece, which inevitably brought the kingdom into conflict with Rome, whose power in Greece was ascendant. Two major wars ensued, the First and Second Macedonian Wars, the latter culminating in the overwhelming defeat of the Macedonians at the Battle of Cynocephalae in 197 BC. Although Philip retained his kingdom, the influence of Macedon was considerably decreased, and Greece passed into the sphere of Rome.