417, Lot: 218. Estimate $200. Sold for $575. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

TROAS, Assos. Circa 210-200 BC. AR Tetradrachm (32mm, 17.02 g, 12h). In the name and types of Alexander III of Macedon. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; kithara in left field. Price 1844 (Kolophon). VF, lightly toned, light marks and scratches. Rare.

From the Colin E. Pitchfork Collection, purchased from CNG, 20 January 2003.

As noted by Price, the obverse of his 1844 was struck from the same obverse die as his 2223, which he placed at Phokaia. His rationale, though, for placing this issue at Kolophon is uncertain, except for the fact that the reverse bears a kithara, which was the badge of Kolophon, and never used at Phokaia. He also surmised that the die link represented a die transfer to a new mint for Alexanders. The kithara, though, was a fairly common symbol, used at a variety of cities on civic coins by the time of this issue. More recently, we reattributed Price 2223 to Assos (see CNG 96, lot 401), which Seyrig and others thought was a the actual mint of that issue. While Price’s argument of a die transfer is possible, we prefer to retain this issue at Assos until further evidence validates Price’s assignment.