Unusual Retrograde Legend

Triton XXII, Lot: 644. Estimate $500. Sold for $750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SELEUCIS and PIERIA, Emesa. Macrinus. AD 217-218. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 13.79 g, 12h). Officina O. AVT K M OΠ CЄ MAKPINOC CЄ-B (but retrograde), laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left / ΔHMAPX ЄΞ VΠATOC Π Π, eagle standing facing, head and tail left, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; O beneath eagle’s head; between legs, radiate bust of Shamash left. Prieur 1006 (this coin illustrated); Bellinger –. Near EF, toned. Extremely rare and unusual engraver’s error. This is the only specimen cited by Prieur with bust left and retrograde obverse legend, 1 additional in CoinArchives.

From the Michel Prieur Collection. Ex Thomas B. Lesure Collection (Classical Numismatic Group XXXII, 7 December 1994), lot 487.