Rare Pedigree Tetradrachm

Triton XVIII, Lot: 256. Estimate $10000. Sold for $9000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

BAKTRIA, Greco-Baktrian Kingdom. Agathokles Dikaios. Circa 185-175 BC. AR Tetradrachm (32mm, 16.61 g, 12h). Commemorative issue struck for Demetrios I. ΔHMHTPIOY ANIKHTOY, diademed and draped bust right, wearing elephant skin headdress / BAΣIΛEYONTOΣ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕOYΣ ΔIKAIOY, Herakles standing facing, crowning himself with wreath held in right hand and cradling club in left arm draped with lion skin; monogram to inner left. Bopearachchi 17 (monogram unlisted); Bopearachchi & Rahman –; SNG ANS –; MIG Type 146 (monogram unlisted); Qunduz –; Sunrise –; Roma 2, lot 368 = Gorny & Mosch 169, lot 153 (same dies). Good VF, toned. Struck in high relief. Fourth example known.

From the Sunrise Collection.

The "pedigree" coins issued by Agathokles copy the coin types of his predecessors, with the predecessor's name and cult epithet on the obverse, and Agathokles' name and titles on the reverse. Agathokles' intent was clearly to advertise the line of succession from Alexander the Great to himself, presumably as an aspect of his civil war propaganda. Although all of these pedigree coins are very rare today, coins of this particular type commemorating Demetrios I are probably the rarest among them.