400, Lot: 544. Estimate $200. Sold for $475. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PHOENICIA, Aradus. Macrinus. AD 217-218. AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 12.97 g, 7h). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Eagle standing facing, head left, with wreath in beak and wings spread; crescent between legs. Prieur 1278 var. (obv. and rev. legends). VF, lightly toned. Rare, only two specimens cited by Prieur, one on CoinArchives.

This unusual issue appears to have been struck at the beginning of Macrinus’ reign, as certain holdovers from Caracalla’s reign are present, most notably in the portrait. Though the fullness of Caracalla’s portrait has been replaced by the thinner style of Macrinus, the heavily furrowed brow and more closely cropped beard of Caracalla are clearly visible. Also, the reverse legend clearly ends with a ‘Δ,’ a numeral letter which was never utilized, nor would it make sense, for Macrinus’ reign. It was, however, the reading of the legend for the last series of Caracalla’s tetradrachms, meaning that this likely represents a hybrid of types between the two emperors. See CNG 100, lot 1749 for another, similar example of this rare hybrid.