CNG 105, Lot: 445. Estimate $500. Sold for $1900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PERSIA, Alexandrine Empire. temp. Mazakes – Bleitor. Satraps of Mesopotamia, circa 331-316 BC. AR Tetradrachm (19.5mm, 16.82 g, 9h). Imitating Athens. Helmeted head of Athena right, with profile eye / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent to left, AIΓ to right. Van Alfen, Mechanisms, Group III.E.2, fig. 24 (same obv. die); BMC Attica 271; MIG Type 13 c. Near VF, toned, some roughness. Extremely rare, one of ten known, of which six are in museums (see below).

The corpus of the known examples:

1. London, BM 1880,0710.10. Ex Oxus Treasure. BMC 271.
2. Oxford, Ashmolean Museum. Ex Oxus Treasure. A. R. Bellinger, “The Coins from the Treasure of the Oxus” in MN 10 (1962), p. 54, 3 = H. Nicolet-Pierre, “L'Oiseau d'Athéna, d'Égypte en Bactriane” in BCH Suppl. XIV (1986), fig. 41.
3. Kabul, National Museum [current disposition unverified]. Ex Tchaman-i Hazouri Hoard. D. Schlumberger. “L’Argent Grec dans l’Empire Achéménide: A propos d’un trésor d’époque perse découvert à Caboul (Trouvaille du Tchaman-i Hazouri)” in: R. Curiel and D. Schlumberger, eds., Trésors monétaires d’Afghanistan (Paris, 1953), no. 64.
4. ANS 1944.100.24489. E.T. Newell Bequest.
5. ANS 1963.169.1. Found at Kermanshah in Western Iran.
6. Paris, BN FRBNF41815596. Ex Babylonia 1954 hoard. G. Le Rider, “Tetradrachmes au lion et imitations d’Athens en Babylonie” in SM 85 (February 1972), p. 3, 7.
7. Leu 83, 262. Ex Mir Zakah II hoard.
8. CNG E-104, lot 111.
9. Present coin.
10. CNG E-400 (forthcoming).

The ANS, BM, and BN pieces are all illustrated online. Originally, this issue was thought to originate in northwest India, but more recent studies have conclusively placed it at an uncertain mint in Mesopotamia/northern Babylonia. Their style and fabric are identical to the numerous imitations of Athens tetradrachms found in the latter region, as well as the imitations of Cilician staters found there that are attributed to the early Alexandrine period in Persia.