Sale: Nomos 2, Lot: 55. Estimate CHF5000.  Closing Date: Monday, 17 May 2010.  Sold For CHF4000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Philip II. 359-336 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 14.36 g 11), Pella, struck circa 359-355/4 BC. Laureate head of Zeus to right. Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ Philip riding left, wearing armor, kausia and cloak billowing out behind him, and raising right arm in salute; below horse, vertical thunderbolt, Ζ over Μ and wreath. Le Rider 69 var. (same obverse die). A clear, well struck and very attractive coin, with a superb head of Zeus. Extremely fine.

The early Zeus heads on the coinage of Philip II are clearly related to those found on the slightly earlier Arkadian League staters struck in Megalopolis (as Kraay/Hirmer 512 and BCD 1512). The horseman on the reverse is clearly meant to be Philip II himself.