Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 790. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $1500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III 'the Great'. 336-323 BC. AR Hemidrachm (2.12 g, 12h). Uncertain mint in Asia Minor. Struck circa 320-301 BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / ALEXANDRO[U], Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; grain ear in left field, ivy leaf below throne. Unpublished. EF, lightly toned. Possibly unique. ($1000)

From the Robert Weimer Collection.

The vast majorty of hemidrachms struck in the name of Alexander originate from the eastern mints, although a few are known in the west. The style and fabric of this particular coin strongly suggest an issue from Asia Minor. Although no published hemidrachms have both of the control marks present on this coin, Price 2101 is a hemidrachm with a grain ear in the left field. The examples of that coin in ADM I clearly show a very different, and earlier, style that this coin cannot be associated with. Style also precludes an attribution based on other denominations with these combined markings. A possible candidate is Abydos, where the grain ear appears in the left field of some issues in the name of Philip III (cf. Price P24-25), and the ivy leaf under the throne on many issues in the name of Alexander (cf. Price 1545-1548). Although Price tentatively assigns these groups to periods separated by 7 years, the style and fabric of the series at Abydos is consistent with the present coin.