kapphnwn

First Century sestertii are among my favorite coins though I will have to give a shout out to the sestertii of Trajan. Some of the most impressive sestertii are those minted by Nero from the mint of Rome Ae Sestertius of Nero Rome 65 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv Temple of Janus with door to right RIC 267 25.47 grms 34 mm Photo by W. Hansen I believe that the image of Nero on his sestertii from the mint of Rome are just slightly more refined than those from Lugdunum. I fell that the image from Lugdunum attempt to make him appear more military thus they lack some of the subtlety of the images from Rome. Oddly the image of the Temple of Janus struck at Lugdunum appears to have more intricate detail than those struck at Rome.

I believe there are many areas of research that are open for anyone including an amateur can explore. Ancient numismatics is a vast subject and actual numismatists are rather thin on the ground. You can get into a number of different types of study A. More general studies such as the activities of a particular mint or ruler. I have been doing something like this on the lifetime coinage of Alexander III. There is my thread to that effect somewhere in the Greek section. This tends to involve more survey work. You need tor examine the scholarship on the subject both from the past and more current writings on the subject. This is more of a literature search. B. Die studies. This is the type of work you were alluding to. These are somewhat more involved however with the burgeoning internet search options such as the Newman Numismatic Portal, R Numis, CNG Research and commercial sites like AC or Coin Archives (There are of course many others.) which would help You may want to consult Matin Beckmann's work on the aurei of Faustina Senior and Junior. This will give you some insight as to how to go about your project. At that point you may want to pick out the coinage(s) you are most interested in working on. Once completed you need to consult on line to see what has been done already in your area. All I can say is good luck. Perhaps one more tiny bit of advice. Try to pick a topic that is neither too big nor too small. I have been working on a die study of the Severan drachms from the mint of Petra. Currently there are 28 known with this one being the only drachm from that minted minted for Septimius Severus. Ar drachm of Septimius Severus circa 210 AD Petra obv Head right laureate Rv Tyche standing left holding baetyl and military trophy. Unpublished C1 3,11 grms 17 mm Photo by W. hansenI picked the date as being sometime around 210 AD as out of the 28 coins there is only 1 of Severus and 3 of Geta. That could change as more information might be forthcoming. However when I started this project in 2007 on average I was able to record on average about 2-3 coins a year. However over the last 6 years I have only seen one. That other than the three I sold in 2018

This one is very small Ae Dichalkon of Ptolemy IV Alexandria 221-214 BCObv Head of Zeus Ammon right. Rv Eagle standing left on thunderbolt wings folded. CPE This coin illustrated 2.29 grms 15 mm Photo by W. HansenThis tiny little coin circulated alongside those big Ptolemaic cartwheels. At the time of purchase this type was unpublished, however later it was included in the corpus of the Ptolemaic coinage published by Lorber

Ar Tetradrachm of Septimius Severus Laodicea ad Mare 207-209 AD Obv Bust tight laureate and cuirassed seen from front. Rv Eagle facing slightly to the right head reverted.Prieur 1141 This coin illustraded. 13.55 grms 28 mm Photo by W. Hansen I had originally seen this coin at the NYINC back in January 2019. At the time I was more interested in replacing my Caracalla Tetradrachm so I gave this coin a pass. Naturally the moment I got home I regretted this decision. About a month later I made an arrangement to purchase this coin. To me this coin is a magnificent example by what can be achieved by a die cutter working in the eastern half of the Roman Empire..

Now for something completely different. Back in 2002 I was looking on my computer and saw this coin Ae Aurelianus of Numerian Lugdunum 283-284 AD Obv. Bust left radiate and cuirassed holding spear over shoulder and carrying shield. Rv Pax standing left holding branch and scepter. RIC 395 2.79 grms 22 mm Photo By W. Hansen Purchased CNG E Auction 53 Lot 120 November 20 2002. I know I recently featured this coin. Alright This is the image from CNG However a few days ago @Romancollector indicated that he had seen the coin elsewhere. I certainly cannot say that this is older. The document suggests that it was done sometime after 2002 . I cannot even say that this is prestigious, however...... It appears that the obverse of my coin is the avatar image for the reference page on Numerian found on Wikipedia. Good eye @Romancollector Like I said Now for something completely different.

Sestertius of Otacila Severa 248 AD Obv Bust right draped and diademed Rv Hippopotamus advancing right mouth agape RIC 200 16.54 grms 25 mm Photo by W. HansenThis coin is part of the Millennial cerebrations surrounding the 1000 anniversary of the founding of Rome. This coin does feature one of the more dangerous safari animals yet perhaps the least intimidating, that is until you become a person of interest to this beast. There is one mystery associated with this coin. Why is the hippopotamus paired with Otacilla? Is this a rare case of "Does this coin make me look fat?"😉

I too enjoy the hunt , it keeps me off the street. Back in January 2017 I was attending my very first NYINC. I was completely overwhelmed by all the activity including the auctions. I was attending the Goldberg Auction and saw this coin Syracuse Ar Tetradrachm 450-440 BC Obv Driver in chariot being pulled by four horses walking right. Above Nike crowning the horses. Rv Head of Arethusa right surrounded by four dolphins. Boehringer 515 17.10 grms 25 mm Photo by W. Hansen purchased The New York Sale XL Lot 1029 January 11 2017, At the time of purchase all I knew of the coin was that it was in a Goldberg auction from the year before. Naturally the coin got a nickname "the panhandle" and that is all I knew of it until earlier this year. However going through the R Numis I found a listing of old Numismatic Fine Arts Auctions Going through the NFA Auction XXXII which was held June 10 1993 I found Lot 13 Naturally I was thrilled I had found my coin in an NFA Auction Wow Moreover I just took a coin that had a 2016 pedigree and moved it back over 20 years. Again that auction did not list anything older. I was very proud of myself . That is until..... About a month later I was looking through an Ars Classica Auction 17 which was held On October 3 1934. I was actually looking for another coin but if I am already here I might as well be thorough. I looked at Lot 199 and realized this is my coin again. Again nothing more recorded though it may have come from the collection of R. Burrage of Boston Mass.

Ar Drachm of Antiochos VI Dionysos Antioch 143-142 BC Obv Head right radiate Rv Apollos seated left on omphalos holding arrow. SC 2002/2b HGC 1036a 4.07 grms 17 mm Photo by W. HansenI suspect the radiate diadem is an attempt to link this individual to the god Helios perhaps suggesting the dawn of a new era. Despite this Antiochos VI never really ruled instead he was the puppet of the General Tryphon who may have eventually had him killed.

Okay I will bite. Ar Drachm Kingdom of Cappadocia Ariarathes V Eusebia-Mazaca 130 BC Obv head right diademed Rv Athena standing left holding Nike. Simonetta 15 4.18 grms 18 mm Phot by W. Hansen This individual was active in the politics of the region but generally had a pro Roman bias. Non the less he was a strong philhellene and was honored with Athenian citizenship.

Antoninus Pius Ae Sestertius 141-143 AD Obv bust right laureate and draped seen lightly from the back Rv Italia seated on globe left holding scepter and cornucopia RIC 746a 27,14 grms 33 mm Photo by W. Hansen I have always wondered if this coin was a response to the massive honoring all the provinces of the Roman Empire that was struck by Hadrian. The viewer is being told hat he is fortunate (the mural crown) that Italia rules (the scepter) the universe (starry globe) as she brings prosperity (cornucopia) to all. This an unusual and powerful statement and it would be interesting to know the context in which it belongs.

Ar Victoriatus "Q" South Italian Mint 211-210 BC Obv Head of Jupiter right laureate Rv Victory crowning trophy. Crawford 102/1 3.43 grms 15 mm Photo by W. Hansen. This is the first of these rather enigmatic coins that I had managed to purchase. Even then I was a bit concerned about its attribution to Crawford 102/1 owing to a confusion with how the Q was formed. I am happier with the attribution now. However I do like these little numismatic puzzles.

I believe that the aes of Syracuse are only just second to the wonderful silver coins from that city. Ae Hemi drachm of Syracuse 344-339/8 BC Time of Timoleon Obv Head of Zeus Eleutherios right laureate. Rv Thunderbolt to right eagle wings folded. HGC 1440 16.58 grms 23 mm Photo by W. Hansen It is good to see the image of Zeus with his three adjunct symbols the wreath of laurel, the thunderbolt and his familiar the eagle. Zeus is in this case described as the "Liberator"

I believe it to be Le Rider 462 D 235 R 381 which would be from the mint of Pella struck 323-315 BC. This coin does share an obverse die with other coins marked with a thunderbolt. This is the image in Le Rider There is another series in Le Rider but the obverse die looks nothing like this one. I have a tetradrachm from roughly the same period. Antipater as regent Ar Tetradrachm In the name and types of Philip II of Macedon Pella 323-315 BC Obv Head of Zeus right laureate. RV Jockey holding palm branch riding horse right Le Rider 524 14.35 grms 23 mm Photo by W. Hansen This group was minted after the death of Alexander no doubt in response to the growing need for manpower as a result of the Wars of the Successors. BB

About a year ago I started to look at the drachm coinage of Asia Minor, however during the intervening period I got involved with another project and did not pursue this one any further. I now have an incentive to continue with my work however unfortunately I will be unable to discuss this coinage to the detail that I would like. That will have to come in some time later either in this or a new thread. However I do feel that I can make a number of more general comments on this coinage, Up to this point Alexander's use of his coinage has been primarily military. At first I he need to hire mercenaries and pay for their transport to the combat zone. Later he needs to pay off his army and in effect start creating a new one. So up to this point his motivations are simple. However when we get to the drachm coinage of Asia Minor we run into something of an issue. Why would the preponderance of drachms be minted in this region? To explain this situation some have tried to float the idea that the region became responsible for "small change" Troxell (1991) doe allude to this though her revision to the chronology does make this idea all but impossible. Thus we are again asking why? In my mind the answer is relativity simple. This was the region where the Ar siglos was the principle silver coin of the region and the Attic drachm was the closest denomination to that coinage. If this is the case then the impetus for change would not be external but internal. The warfare among Alexander's successors some of which was fought in the region would provide an incentive to harmonize the local coinage with the rest of the Macedonian coinage now flooding the region. However it is still possible that like the Levant, the city did start converting their coinage to that of the Attic standard circa 325 BC. The question now is can that be proven one way or another. At the present time that is what I was working on. What I had noticed is that there was a number of subtle variations of the image of Zeus with the parallel legs. I suspect that the original image taken from the levant was in many respects unsatisfactory. The pose was too stiff and rather ungainly. Thus if felt that if I could establish an internal sequence to this coinage I could in time establish an absolute chronology. This could be achieved by comparing the various styles to some markers such as the Basileos issues and the issues struck for Philip III. This explains some of my methodology. This is my Map and please note that this is a working copy and thus in some cases may not be up to date. You can see that the varieties that I am looking at are at the lower left. They are color coded. Thus a mint or date with that color indicates when that variety if seen at the mint in question. Except for the Green Crossed Legged variety all a variants of the parallel legged Zeus. The reason that I am most interested in the varieties of the parallel legged images is that the crossed legged ones are all posthumous. I have already discussed the introduction of the crossed legged image in the previous thread. I had noted that the type had not spread much beyond the two mints that had initially adopted it. Ar Tetradrachm of Ptolemy I in the name of types of Alexander III Memphis 322-321 BC Price 3971 CPE 19 17.20 grms 29 mm Photo by W. Hansen Ar Tetradrachm of Kassander in the name and types of Alexander III Amphipolis 317-294 BC Price 447 17.05 grms 29 mm Photo by W. Hansen This massive issue with the torch lambda is known by one issue with the image of Zeus being depicted with parallel legs. Thus the die cutters would have had to wait until well after the death of Alexander to have even seen this variety. The crossed legged variety is not seen at Tarsos and some of the other mints as well. Thus if we look at the mint that Price had identified as Side (now identified as Unknown Mint in Cilicia) we see this coin Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III "Side" Standard Types 323-317 BC Basileos Zeus with Parallel legs Price 2949 17.10 grms 25 mm CNG Auction 108 Lot 102 May 16 2018 and compare it to this one Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III "Side" Standard types 323-317 BC Basileos Zues with fore leg reverted. Price 2949 17.18 grms 26 mm Photo by W. Hansen As you can see though the difference is subtle it can be seen and the change in the design does continue. As both issues are seen with the title of Basileos we know that both were minted after 323 BC. As mentioned before this is going to entail a lot of work so I will take some time. As for the aes. If I am having fun with the silver the aes is a complete black hole. The problem is that there really has not been anything even remotely comprehensive done on this coinage since Price 1991. What is even worse is nothing has been done with the coins issued in the name and types of Philip II. Without any context it is very difficult to assess this coinage. All that I could safely say is that any of the coins that either use or hint at the title of Basileos are posthumous. Well I would like to thank everyone for their patience and I will continue to change and modify this post as I continue with my studies. Hopefully what I have done here will help. But a word of caution This is only a survey on this long and complicated coinage and sometimes as a grapple with this often thorny subject matter I am reminded of this Again my thanks

Augustus Ar Denarius Colonia Patricia 19 BC Obv Head right bare Rv Legend within wreath RIC 77a 3.90 grms 18 mm Photo by W. HansenHere we see him with the wreath he earned for saving the lives of the citizens of Rome. On the obverse he is seen with the name of his adoptive father CAESAR as well as his title AUGUSTUS essentially the revered one. As usual with Octavian there is this careful little dance. Despite being surrounded by all this majesty he is bareheaded.

When we last saw the Levant Alexander was heading east (331 BC). Thus these mints could be said to be now a backwater. However it cannot be overemphasized that the region remained important to Alexander. What is generally not known by most was that throughout his eastern campaign Alexander received reinforcements from the Greek world. We know little about how mercenaries were recruited in the ancient world. It probably ranged from "Have spear Will travel" to some prince hiring out himself and a contingent of his army for pay. However they were recruited they would probably end up in Tarsos should they take the overland route or one of the ports along the Levantine coast should they come by sea. Beside this trade, the region would also be involved in moving other goods necessary for the invasion. Of course the usual commercial activities would be maintained. This is a rather complicated period in numismatic history as die cutters are being transferred from one mint to another. Furthermore new mints are established some as early as 328 BC however others more towards 325 BC. The reason for this increase in activity is complex however the activation of a number of mints and the spike in their activity circa 325 BC suggests that Alexander at this point has ordered the calling in all the old non Macedonian coinage in the region and having it replaced with his. Alexander would need an immense amount of money. Just to pay the 1 Talent bonus to his 10,000 veterans he would need 15 Million tetradrachms or at least 750 dies. Map of the Levantine Mints. This is simply a modification of the first map that I had produced. I have left the color codes for the mints I have already discussed as they were. The newer mints are seen with a purple background. Tarsos: Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types Symbol Plow 325-323 BC Price 3032 Hoover 910h 17.04 grms 26 mm Photo by W. Hansen At some point the mint of Tarsos adopts the symbol of the plow. a symbol that is kept even after the death of Alexander in June of 323 BC and the introduction of the title of Basileos in early 322 BC. In many respects the way this coinage is organized with its series of letters and globules reminds me a lot of the Babylon Group 2 coinage so it is possible that this coinage had a very short lifespan perhaps late 324-322 BC. Complicating any analysis is the mystery over the death of Balakros. If that mystery could be cleared up we might have a better understanding as to when the "Plow" actually commenced. As such the main impetus behind this coinage is the activity of Craterous and the roughly 10,000 veterans under his command. They were involved in the building of a fleet, which would in time take them home. Myriandros: Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types 325-323 BC MI Monogram. Price 3229 17.21 grms 27.5 mm CNG Triton XXIII Lot 208 January 13 2020 I believe that because the output from this mint is so small that it may have ceased production for a number of years, reviving in 325 BC. This may be the reason that the MI monogram for Myriandros was adopted. This mint was active as well after the death of Alexander as both the Basileos title as well as coins minted in the name of Philip III are known from this mint. Salamis: Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types 328?-323 BC Price 3139 HGC 910h 17.18 grms 24 mm Photo by W. Hansen This coinage is perhaps the most vexing problem we facing in dating the coinage from this region. The main issue is that technically the King of Salamis is an ally of the Macedonians and not a conquered city. This coinage does resemble some of the earlier issues in that a monogram representing the name of the city is omitted but it is not a direct copy either of some of the earlier mints. I suspect that the coinage may have started in 328 BC. At the very latest this mint would have started in 325 BC Karne: Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types 327-326 BC KA Monogram Price 3429 17.22 grms 25 mm Numismatik Lanz Auction 138 Lot 306 November 26 2007 Taylor (2018) added a great deal of information to the rather meager information provided by Price on this mint. This mint appears to employ only 7 obverse dies and appears to have a rather short life. It did however resume operations sometime late in 323 BC Arados: Av Stater of Alexander III Standard types 328 -323 BC AR Monogram Price 3423 (Byblos) 8.58 grms 18 mm CNG Auction 99 Lot 71 May 13 2015 Arados: Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types 328-323 BC AR Monogram Price 3424 (Byblos) 17.24 grms 26 mm CNG Auction 105 Lot 72 May 10 2017 If this mint has not started already the preponderance of evidence suggests that it had started in 328 BC. The organization of this mint is complex. Taylor (2020) makes a strong argument that there are two separate mints in operation at this time. Damaskos: Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types 325-323 BC DA Monogram Price 3204 Taylor 191 Group II A11/P1 17.20 grms 25 mm Photo by W. Hansen Taylor(2017) gives a excellent revue of this coinage. The mint at Damaskos appears to mint just tetradrachms and does so for a very short period of time possibly less than a year. Sidon: Av Stater of Alexander III Standard types 327/6 BC SI Monogram Price 3482 8.65 grms 17.5 mm CNG Auction 100 Lot 45 October 7 2015 Sidon: Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Obv Head of beardless Herakles wearing lions skin headdress Rv. Zeus Aetophoros seated left Back leg crossed. 325/4 BC Price 3487 17.16 grms 26 mm Leu Web Auction 17 Lot 516 August 8 2021. This has to be one of major watersheds in the history of the coinage of Alexander III. This is the first coin seen with the iconic crossed legged reverse which eventually replaced the image of Zeus with parallel legs. This reverse may have been inspired by this type. Balakros Ar Double Siglos Soloi 333-323 BC Obv Baaltars seated left legs crossed. Rv Bust of Athena Helmeted facing slightly to the left. 10.90 grms 24.5 mm CNG Auction 114 Lot 359 May 12 2020. It should be noted that the crossed legged image of Zeus did not immediately take off. Tyre needed a year to adopt the reverse type and it is not present in any of the contemporary mints in the region until much later. Tyre Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Crossed legs reverse. 324/3 BC Price 3265 17.21 grms 25 mm CNG 108 Lot 76 May 16 2018 Whew In the next section I will attempt to discuss the drachm coinage of Asia Minor and after that the Aes coinage. I would like to thank all for their patience. This survey and that is exactly what this is only scratches the surface of this interesting and complicated coinage.

Every ancient coin is a compromise and so the question that is always asked is.... Do the problems overwhelm what is good about the coin. At the January 2019 NYINC on the last day I was offered this coin at a steep discount. I guess the dealer didn't want to take it back with him across the pond. Pescennius Niger Ar Denarius Antioch 193-195 AD Obv Head right laureate. Rv Fortuna Redux standing left holding cornucopia and rudder. RIC 76 var 3.70 grms 18 mm So what is wrong with this coin? 1. The reverse is badly off center 2. Up to that moment I had not really planned to purchase a denarius of Niger, so in that regard the need to purchase this coin was low. So what was good. 1. Coin was in high grade. The portrait was good. The metal was good and the flan was reasonably broad. 2. The coin was for a Niger reasonably priced. (I managed to negotiate them down further) 3. It had an illustrious Pedigree. Coin is an Ex John W Garrett Collection It should be obvious that for me the pluses out weighed the minuses. The debate for me was over very quickly. Not that the pluses were so overwhelming but still enough to make an offer to purchase. I cannot really say which of the three positives carried the most weight. All I can say to @kirispupisis good luck in solving your dilemma. I will say that for me there is a lot of coins out there that I would really like to own, that up to a short time ago I thought I might have a chance at. However unless the coin meets my minimum standard I would rather not own it.

While all of this is going on in the west Alexander is in India facing a dilemma. Sometime in late summer 326 BC his army which had followed him for the last 10 year had enough. They refuse to advance a step further. They wanted to go home. Thus if he wished to continue with his world tour there was really only two things that he could do. 1 Bring his army back home and pay it off. 2. Buy a new one. For 10 years Alexander had looked forward rarely looking back and now in order to achieve either of his goals he would need a great deal of money. So it probably at this time that Alexander sends out a message in effect calling in some of the disparate coinages circulating within the former Persian Empire and replace that coinage with his own. However when this missive was sent out it clearly did not go out to all parts of the Empire. Egypt for one was exempt. However Egypt did not strike a "native" coinage except for some Pseudo Athenian Owls. So the question of whether or not these instructions would have impacted the drachm coinage in Asia Minor will be dealt with later. According to Taylor (2018) The mint of Babylon commenced production Very late 326/325 BC. The coinage from this mint is divided into two issues a very limited Group 1 and a much larger Group 2 It is within the second group that we see a much wider range of denominations. Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Group I Standard types Taylor 7 17.20 grms 25 mm Hess Divo Auction 320 Lot 111 October 26 2011 Taylor notes that there are 11 Obverse dies recorded. Given two anvils in operation the minting of this coinage could have taken perhaps as little as 4 months. The group 2 coinage is rather more difficult to assess. Taylor noted that there is some 77 obverses noted among the tetradrachms from this group but that does not cover the other denominations seen with this coinage. He does think that the whole coinage could have been dealt with within a year, and given the increased number of anvils this is likely. However the differences between the two groups give us pause. Alexander is thought to have returned to Susa early in 324 BC. So it is possible that the Group 2 coinage did not start until then. A few of the coins within Group 2 Av Stater of Alexander III Standard types 325-323 BC Price 3594 8.58 grms 18 mm CNG Triton VII Lot 140 January 12 2004 Compared the the later posthumous issues all recognizable with the title of Basileos these are very scarce. Ar Dekadrachm of Alexander III Standard types 325-323 BC HGC 909 41.51 grms 35 mm Roma Numismatics Auction 23 Lot 175 March 24 2022 Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types 325-323 BC Price 3629 17.14 grms 26 mm Photo by W. Hansen Ar Obol of Alexander III Standard types 325-323 BC Price 3606 var 0.62 grms 9 mm CNG E Auction 459 Lot 97 January 8 2020 This used to be my coin but I sold it. Personally I thought the picture did it a disservice. The one interesting fact about this immense coinage was that it did not come even remotely close to the amount Alexander would need to pay off his army. According to ancient sources and modern scholarly estimates as recorded in Le Rider (2007) Alexander needed 20,000 Talents to pay off the debts incurred by his army plus he had given 10,000 retiring veterans a Talent each over and above their pay. True some of the Asiatic contingents he had picked up after he left Babylonia could have been paid in the Double Daric and Lion coinage but that still leaves a deficient. So it is clear that the mints in the Levantine region would have to be called up and be used for this monumental pay out. However it is getting hot and I will start this a bit later.

Denarius of C Norbanus 83 BC Obv Head of Venus right In field above XVII Rv. From left to right Prow. Fasces Caduceus Ear of Corn Crawford 357/1a 3.93 grms 19 mm Photo by W Hansen Beyond knowing that C Norbanus was a supporter of Marius I knew little more about this group of coins. @Marsyas Mike Your analysis is most interesting bring life to what would otherwise be just a parade of coins with disjointed messaging. What is interesting is that while the other moneyers when creating the images of the deities appear to be going for the more "modern" (at the time) look Norbanus appears to be opting for the more severe traditional look for his image of Venus.

Now for the gold. The lifetime gold coinage of Alexander III can be a very vexing issue. Like the silver coinage some of the symbols Kantharos Thunderbolt and Trident are carried over from the staters minted in the name and types of Philip II, however in some cases these symbols particularly the Thunderbolt and the Trident carry over even as late as the reign of Kassander (300-290 BC) . I should note that Hoover (2016) does not mention any of the three symbols being used for his "Alexander IV" coinage 323-310 BC. However it may simply be the difficulty in distinguishing the two series that caused him to adopt this position. It should be noted that he does record that the staters in the name and type of Philip II minted during the reign of Kassander (316-310 BC) do employ all three symbols. I should state that the dates given for the coins of Kassander are the ones given in his book. Troxell divided the lifetime staters into two groups. Series 1 Av Stater of Alexander III Standard types Kantharos 332 -330 BC? Troxell Series 1 460 8.60 grms 18 mm Auctiones GmbH E Auction 10 Lot 11 November 18 2012 The helmet is rather large in relation to the face . The lower face guard is quite a way forward in front of the face. The crest is seen as two looses strands coming forward at a roughly 45degree angle towards the back of the neck. This coinage is known by 7 obverse dies. Series 2 Av Stater of Alexander III Standard types Kantharos 332-323 BC Troxell Series 2 480 8.61 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen The helmet is smaller in relation to the face. The face guard is now only slightly in front of the face. The crest is slightly thicker and more lively with one strand seen to the left curving backwards and the other seen to the right initially heading towards the back of the next then curving downward Just to show the contrast Av Stater of Kassander in the name and types of Alexander III Standard types Trident 300-290 BC Price 172 HGC 987 8.60 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen. In this case the face has become very large thus the helmet has shrunk in relationship to it. The lower face guard is more or less at about the same position as the previous coin but the bowl of the helmet is scarcely big enough to cover the back of the head. The crest is now thicker and more or less follows the pattern of the previous coin but a third strand seen in the middle is now visible and more or less mirrors the one to the right. So what to look for? As the symbols are no real help one needs to examine closely the style of the coinage. Big long helmets and small faces are good. Small helmets big faces not so good. Also the crest can be a help. The position of the crest on the Group 1 coins is pretty distinctive and while the Group 2 crest can pose an issue close study should be a help. The word on this coinage is due diligence. All I can say is that it took me 5 years to find one. Other denominations. Though other denominations are known the mint at Amphipolis produced two other denominations in number The first is the Distater the second is the Quarter stater The Quarter Stater. The gold coinage of Philip II features a number of sub units, and this was likely carried on during the reign of Alexander. However when the gold coinage featuring his name and types only the Quarter stater was minted in any number. This coin is interesting in that it combined some of the features of the silver and gold minted contemporaneously. The head of Athena wearing her Corinthian style helmet was retained from the stater. However rather than place the image of Herakles on the reverse, his trademark club and bow were used instead. Thus both gods were honored on this coinage and thus the imagery from both the gold and silver were linked together in this denomination. Av Quarter Stater of Alexander III Kantharos 332- 323 BC Obv Head of Athena in crested Corinthian style helmet Rv Bow over club. Price 169 HGC 897a 2.13 grms 11 mm Photo by W. Hansen The Quarter stater appears to be in the style of the Troxell Group 2 staters. The relative size and position of the helmet is similar to that of the Group 2 coins and the crest is positioned in a very similar pattern. I have examined a number of these on line and have found a number with the more shallow eye socket similar to that of my stater, However a number of staters that feature a somewhat deeper eye socket as does my coin are noticed in some earlier examples. Though this type is not listed in Hoover (2016) for either Alexander IV nor Kassander we may still need to exercise some due diligence The DiStater Av DiStater of Alexander III 325-323 BC Standard types Kantharos 17.20 grms 22.5 mm CNG Triton XXIII Lot 203 January 14 2020 I had not really looked at this coinage closely. Judging from what I could see in Troxell (1999) the coin above is an example of her Group A. However the dating given by Hoover and the trade does give me some pause. If the 325 BC date is accurate I would have to think that the vast majority of these coins are posthumous. The rational is the same as that for the Group E silver coinage. These massive gold coins could only be minted for one purpose; to pay the returning veterans their pay and bonuses and those men are still in Tarsos at the death of Alexander. Otherwise I can see no reason for them to have been minted. However as pay for the wars among Alexander's successors they do make rather more sense. Next I return to the east and will look at the coins of Babylon and the Levant

At last we return to Macedon. If the Persians were unsuccessful in stopping Alexander on the battlefield that was not the only arrow they had for their bow. The Persians knew from long experience was that the one thing Greeks hated more than barbarians were other Greeks. Thus there was a long standing tradition in Persian diplomacy that if one Greek state was giving them a problem send money to one of their Greek enemies. During the Peloponnesian War the Persians in most part supported the Spartans against Athens. Less than 20 years later they were busy assisting the Athenians against the Spartans. Persian gold has been makinf it possible for Greeks to happily slaughter their fellow Greek for decades. So naturally after the Battle of the Granicus the Persians were desperately looking for someone in Greece who was unhappy with their situation and they found them. The Spartans were desperate to reassert their primacy in the Peloponnese and Persians were only too happy to finance them. Such nice guys. Now this may have been not to much of a problem for Antipater to handle but the Battle of Issus may have changed the dynamic to some degree. After the battle some 8000 Greek Mercenaries all battle hardened veterans who had escaped the slaughter ended up back in Greece offering their support to the Spartans, Alexander had been less than kind to their fellows after the Battle of the Granicus, thus given that precedent it was unlikely that they would wish to subjugate themselves to his tender mercies. All of this is bad news to both Antipater as well as Alexander. Spartan success in the Peloponnese could lead to defections in the League of Corinth and war in Greece. It may become impossible to continue with his invasion of the Persian Empire. So from the spoil gained after the Battle of Issus and subsequent operations in the east a substantial sum of money was sent back to Antipater and it is at this point that we see the emergence of the Alexander coinage in Macedon. 1. Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III In the name and types of Philip II Standard types symbol Janiform head 336 -328 BC Le Rider D 12 R- 14.07 grms 25 mm CNG Triton XVI Lot 280 January 7 2013 2. Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III In the name and types of Philip II Standard types symbol Prow right 338-328 BC Le Rider D 193 R 331 14.48 grms 26 mm CNG Triton XIX Lot 88 January 4 2016 3. Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types Prow left 332-326 BC Troxell Group A 1 Price 4 17.25 grms 25 mm Photo by W Hansen The first coin is the tetradrachm of Philip which shares the same symbol as the coin shown by @robinjojo seen above. Thus it is likely to be among the first coins in the name of Alexander minted at Amphipolis. Troxell (1997) identifies 5 symbols used in her Group A of which 3 Prow, Stern and Janiform head share a symbol with the coins minted in the name and types of Philip II. (There might be a fourth but that is debatable) At present there are four groups listed by Troxell that are considered lifetime A through D She does not suggest any internal dating though Group D is now considered to be struck between 325-323 BC. However it is likely that the Group A and possibly the group B coins would have been struck to pay for the war with Sparta which ended in 331 BC with the Battle of Megalopolis. 4.Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types Grapes 332-326 BC Troxell Group B7 Price 29 17.16 grms 25 mm Photo by W. Hansen In Troxell's study Group A was known by 250 coins B by 212 coins C by 87 and D by 216. This suggests that after the war with Sparta production slackened by a significant amount only to resume again circa 325 BC. This resumption was partly due to the anticipated return by Alexander from his campaigns in India. It is now that we come to Troxell Group E Ar Tetradrachm of Alexander III Standard types Herm 323-321 BC Price 78 Troxell E2 17.20 grms 25 mm This has to be the largest of all the groups coming in at 605 examples noted by Troxell in her study. Initially she had assumed that this coin was struck to pay for the returning veterans from Alexander's army however Le Rider (2007) noted that these veterans were still at Tarsos when Alexander had died. It is now pretty certain that this coinage was minted in response to what became to be known as 'Alexanders Funeral Games' the long series of wars that followed his death A few answers. It is unknown how long the coinage in the name and types of Philip II continued. I believe that the date of 328 BC is too late. That date was proposed in le Rider (1977) and despite all the revision since it has not changed at least in the trade. In fact it is this book that created the weird 340/336-328 BC dating that one frequently encounters when examining the coins of Philip II. However in Le Rider (2007) he amends this dating stating that the dates of this group of coins should read 336-328 BC. I would suggest a terminal date of 330 BC. However it is possible that the magistrates symbols could have become frozen or that the symbols governing the two coinages may have diverged. There are minor denominations noted but they are very rare. Didrachms as well as drachms are known from Groups A through E. To date I have only seen a handful of drachms described as being part of Troxell Group E-F. I had to cut this short as I will be forced to do some running around tomorrow. I have to go and try to deal with a group of packages I did not order from Amazon. So I will do the gold from Macedon next.

Okay we sort of left Alexander at the siege of Tyre. I think it may be useful to discuss the coinage situation in Egypt, Babylonia and Mesopotamia after he left heading further east. In late 332 BC after taking both Tyre and Gaza Alexander had Egypt surrendered to him by Mazakes the Persian satrap of Egypt. Here he stayed until the spring of 331 BC he was back in Tyre ready to march on the heartland of the Persian Empire. On 1 October 331 he inflicted a severe defeat upon the Persian army who was forced to flee abandoning Babylon Susa and Persepolis the last he captured early in 330 BC. Alexander who is hot on the trail of Darius III leaves this region not to return until 324 BC. So what coins did Alexander have cause to be minted? Right from the get go I will not discuss the "Porus" Dekadrachms or their fractions. There is a ongoing controversy on this coinage and there is quite a bit of debate over the authenticity of some of the sub units. I do not feel that I am in the position to offer any further insight into this coinage. Egypt: Lorber 2018 has pretty well established that the earliest coins minted in the name and types of Alexander did not commence before 323 BC. Most likely what did circulate in the region were the numerous pseudo-Athenian Owls some of which were likely minted in Egypt. Little research has been done on this coinage. Thus it would be all but impossible to determine which if any of these "Owls" were minted during the reign of Alexander. Mesopotamia and Babylonia: It should be noted that as far as we know coins were not produced in this region other than the possible striking of pseudo Athenian coins. Mesopotamia?: Mazakes Satrap of Mesopotamia? Pseudo Athenian Tetradrachm 331-320 BC Obv Helmeted head of Athena with a profile eye right Rv Owl advancing left head facing To right Aramaic legend MZDK along with letter Theta 16.98 grms 20 mmm Photo by W Hansen As noted above Mazakes surrendered Egypt to Alexander. However P. Van Alfen (2000) wrote about a hoard found in Iraq and concluded that that much of it was produced in Iraq. This was supported by Le Rider (2007) Because of the crudity of this issue he concluded that it was unlikely that they were produced in Babylon and suggested in a mint most likely in Mesopotamia. However he could have been minting these coins either in Media or possibly even in Persis. Babylonia: When Alexander entered Babylonia Darius III was still king and Mazaios was satrap. Darius at this time appears to have struck a series of double darics at this time. These are massive coins featuring the Persian king in a running kneeling pose holding a bow and a dagger. They shoud have a a weight of 16.7 grms. The few specimen that I have seen vary a great deal in weight and are crudely struck. Furthermore it is unknown if Mazaios continued with his series of coinage. However after Mazaios offered his surrender Alexander conferred upon him the title of Satrap of Babylon. In this capacity he struck coins in both gold and silver. Av tetradrachm of Mazaios 331-328 BC Obv, Baaltars seated left Rv Lion attacking bull from behind 17.20 grms 20 mm CNGTriton XIX Lot 2073 January 4 2016 Ar Tetradrachm of Mazaios 3331-328 BC Obv Baaltars seated left Rv Lion advanging left Nicolet-Pierre M1 17.21 grms 25 mm CNG Triton XVIII Lot 239 January 5 2015 It would appear that both coins were struck on the Attic standard making it very likely that these coins were both struck while Mazaios was satrap to Alexander and not earlier. However at some point this system changed. The most likely time for this change would have been at the death of Mazaios in 328 BC and his replacement by Stamenes. However at some point the coinage changes. Please note both of my coins featured below are most likely posthumous, Av Double Daric Alexandrine Empire 328 -311 BC But most likely minted 323-320 BC Obv Persian king in running kneeling pose holding spear and bow. Rv wave patterned incuse punch Nicolet-Pierre 3 16.69 grms Ar Tetradrachm Alexandrine Empire 328-311 BC But most likely minted 322-312 BC Obv Baaltars seated left Rv Lion advancing left Nicolet-Pierre 7 16.59 grms 23 mm It is not clear if there is a gap between production of these coins and those that proceeded it. Many of the double darics exhibit monograms that can be seen on the Alexander coinage minted during the reign of Philip III Arrhidaeus. But many do not. The lion coins do not usually share monograms or any symbols other than the anchor with coins from other series making them difficult to study. Judging from what I can see of the double darics is that their weight standard is usually very close to the 16.7 grms weight of the theoretical double daric. The lion staters are rather more difficult to pin down. Their weight can vary a great deal and while it is possible that this coin was initially minted at the same weight as the double daric it was not maintained. Ps Yes I will be heading back to Macedon next. I thought this section would be easy (really foolish on my part)

I should have used "Double Shekel" I used as a reference for the weight HGC Vol 10 264 Double shekel of Mazaios. 353-333 BC However I could have used any Double shekel from Sidon from 'Abd' Ashtart I 365-352 BC HGC 242 for the weight standard. This is a map that I first created about 5 years ago. I have modified it many times as I have learned more about the subject. But there are still a number of omissions.

Part 3 To begin with In response to @Severus Alexander what I meant by dated is that the coins from both these mints are in most instances marked with annual dates. You can see the dating system in the thread provided above by @Kaleun96. As for minor denominations Both Sidon and Tyre do have them however they are extremely unusual. Price does not picture examples for Sidon though he does picture three for Tyre. Looking on line I have seen a few offered ( 3 or 4 from Tyre) I have decided to discuss the Alexander staters from the Levant because there is something of a controversy here. Generally speaking the consensus is that the staters like the silver started at Tarsos however Le Rider (2007) suggested that this coinage actually started at Tyre. Though so far there has not been any comment on this theory the idea does have merit and deserves scrutiny. However before discussing that issue perhaps it would be useful to look at the coins and discuss in general their iconography, Av Stater of Alexander III Mint of Tarsos 332/1-327 BC Obv Heas of Athena right in Corinthian style helmet. Rv, Nike standing left holding wreath in right hand and cradling stylis in left Price 3458 8.58 grms 16 mm CNG Auction 111 Lot 107 May 29 2019 Av Stater of Alexander III Mint of Tyre. 326/5 BC Standard types. Price 3259 8.55 grms 18 mm You will note the date IIII in the lower right field. CNG Triton XX Lot 109 January 9 2017 Av Stater of Alexander III Mint of Sidon 332/1-326 BC Standard types. Price 3470 8.58 grms 18 mm Baldwins Auction 96 Lot 3035 September 24 2015 It should be noted that since the publication of Price (1991) there have been some shifting of some of the staters from one mint to another, Sidon lost a group of staters to the mint of Tarsos. If the silver coinage was ambiguous in the sense that both Greeks and non Greeks could see something of their own culture within the images of the coinage the gold was unabashedly Greek. The obverse features the head of Athena in a Corinthian style helmet, the reverse the image of Nike holding a wreath and a stylis. The stylis (little pillar) is the staff upon which the commander of the ship or admiral of the fleet would place his banner. The loss of which would signal the surrender of the ship or the loss of the fleet. This is located at the stern of the ship near the aplustre and thus is the symbol of a victory at sea. It is here where the controversy begins. We do not normally associate Greek coins with propaganda but the fact that the design of the coin is so completely different from what has been seen from lexicon of coinage of the Macedonian kings that scholars have attempted to analyze the message that this coinage is attempting to convey. We have essentially two. 1. The Head of Athena is the standard type seen on the reverses of Corinthian staters. Alexander is Hegemon of the League of Korinth Thus the type could be seen as an effort by Alexander to portray himself as the leader of the Greeks in their war with Persia. Thus the reverse could be seen as a celebration of the victories by Greek fleets over the Persians throughout the past and perhaps a pointed reminder of the need for similar support in the upcoming campaign to the south. This theory does have merit. It would give a clear message at a critical point in the campaign. However...... 2. The reverse is a celebration of the surrender of Tyre. That city was effectively the last major port that could be used by the Persian fleet and its loss was a serious blow to the effectiveness of that entity. However the fall of Tyre may have an effect that is far more psychological. Tyre is the Mother City of Carthage, the other great non Greek power to the west. That empire has been a threat to the Greek cities to the west since before the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC. Thus Alexander could be claiming that not only is he benefiting Greeks on the mainland and Asia Minor but Magna Graecia as well. Both theories have merit. I will admit that two does have a few too many moving parts for my liking. However the difference is no more than eight months though this particular wind ow is crucial.

A quick response tp @NewStyleKing Philip II did adopt the Attic standard for his gold, The rational is unclear and I could only speculate at this point. As for the comment "please can I have the heavier one please"? That is the precise point. Some groups preferred to be paid in the the Philip coinage. If one looks at the the Trans Danubian peoples one need only ask "What coins do they copy?" In the main they copy the coins of Philip both the silver and the gold. Thus it is very likely that was the coinage they would be paid in. That the Macedonian Kings would like access to that pool of military manpower would be the reason why the parallel systems were maintained up to and during the reign of Kassander Trans Danubian Cultures Imitation of Tetradrachm of Philip II of Macedon Velemer Type 2nd- ist Century BC Obv Head of Zeus who by this time has lost his beard. Rv Disjointed horseman riding left Flesche 527 12.51 grms 22 mm Photo by W. Hansen This project keeps getting bigger I will attempt to deal with the gold coinages in the levant next Hopefully I will be able to deal with the situation in Macedon next