Sabakes as Satrap of Achaemenid Egypt

Triton XXII, Lot: 398. Estimate $5000. Sold for $12000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Achaemenid Province. Sabakes. Satrap, 340-333 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 17.15 g, 8h). Imitating Athens. Head of Athena right, wearing earring and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Owl standing right, head facing; olive spray and crescent to left, "Sabakes symbol" and SWYK (in Aramaic) to right. Van Alfen Type I, 13c (O8/R11 – this coin); Nicolet-Pierre, Monnaies 11 (D8/R11); SNG Copenhagen 4; BMC 265 (same dies). Good VF, attractively toned, a couple bankers’ marks on reverse. Rare.

From the collection of a Northern California Gentleman, purchased from Freeman & Sear, 2009. Ex Numismatica Genevensis SA IV (11 December 2006), lot 116 (hammer CHF 7000); Münzen und Medaillen GmbH 2 (27 March 1998), lot 121; Schweizerische Kreditanstalt FPL 27 (December 1978), lot 72; Münzen und Medaillen AG XIX (5 June 1959), lot 431.

Sabakes, the penultimate Persian satrap in Egypt, fell in battle against Alexander the Great at Issos. His successor, Mazakes, handed over Egypt to the Macedonians in 332 BC.