CNG 108, Lot: 378. Estimate $300. Sold for $240. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ARABIA, Uncertain. Late 4th-3rd centuries BC. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 17.17 g, 9h). Imitating the types of Alexander III of Macedon. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Shams seated left on backless throne, holding eagle and staff; N-like control in left field, uncertain control mark below throne (erased in die?). Unpublished in the standard references. VF, slight roughness. Extremely rare.

From the Colin E. Pitchfork Collection, purchased from Freeman & Sear, 18 January 2002.

A variety of the Arabian mints began operations with imitations of Alexander type. However, the style of this piece, particularly the reverse, is only roughly similar to any of those. Moreover, the weight of this coin is correct for the Attic standard, while most of the known imitations from Arabia are much lighter. This suggests that the present coin, the style of which is also closer to the original Alexanders, was struck earlier, perhaps even in the late 4th century BC. If correct, this would be one of the earliest , if not the earliest, Alexander type coins from Arabia.