Second Known Coin of King Diplaos

Triton XVII, Lot: 189. Estimate $5000. Sold for $3250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of PAEONIA. Diplaos. Circa 315 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 11.79 g, 5h). Head of Apollo left, with short hair, wearing laurel wreath / Warrior on horse rearing right, thrusting spear held in his right hand at enemy below who defends with shield on his left arm; [ΔI]ΠΛAIOY to right. Peykov E3000 (rarity 10/10) = J. Yourukova, Аитични монети в България [Ancient Coins of Bulgaria] (Sofia, 1972), 93 (same dies); otherwise unpublished. VF, toned, area of flat strike, double struck on reverse. Extremely rare, the second known, and the only one not in a public collection.

The Paeonian ruler Diplaos is known only from his extremely rare coins. Based on the typology of his coins, he is thought to have ruled either concurrently with Patraos, or for a very brief period between Patraos and Audoleon.