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Research Coins: Electronic Auction

 

Rare Macdonian Issue of Pyrrhos

318, Lot: 98. Estimate $150.
Sold for $650. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MACEDON. Pyrrhos (of Epiros). 287-285 BC and 274-273 BC. Æ Unit (17mm, 3.50 g, 7h). Uncertain mint in Macedon. Monogram of Pyrrhos on boss of Macedonian shield / Macedonian helmet; BAΣI below; all within oak wreath. W. Weiser, “Ein neues Kupferstück des Pyrrhos als König der Makedonen” in SM 144 (November 1986), –; AMNG III –; SNG Alpha Bank 970; BMC Thessaly 38-9. VF, dark green patina. Extremely rare issue without monograms.


Coins of the Epeirote king Pyrrhos are known from many different mints, following his exploits around the northern Mediterranean. His two short tenures as king of Macedon, though, did not produce a very robust coinage. His rare issues are all bronze, and all have the same obverse type – his monogram on the boss of a Macedonian shield. The reverse type is also standard, a Macedonian helmet within an oak wreath, and the legend BAΣI below the helmet. Almost all of the known examples, though, have a monogram between the alpha and sigma in the legend. The present variety, without monogram is only known from the Alpha Bank and BMC specimens. None are present in any other published private or public collection.