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Triton XXIII – Session One – Greek Coinage Part I

Lot nuber 192

MACEDON, Philippi. Circa 356-345 BC. AV Stater (15mm, 8.57 g, 12h).


Triton XXIII – Session One – Greek Coinage Part I
Lot: 192.
 Estimated: $ 5 000

Greek, Gold

Sold For $ 11 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Go to Live

MACEDON, Philippi. Circa 356-345 BC. AV Stater (15mm, 8.57 g, 12h). Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Tripod; ΦIΛIΠΠΩN up left field; to right, head of stag right. Bellinger, Philippi 18; AMNG III/2, –; HGC 3, 628 corr. (more symbols); BMC 3; Berlin 4; Boston MFA 583 = Warren 593. A few flan flaws on obverse. VF. Very rare.

From the Jonathan P. Rosen Collection.

Until the fifth century BC, the important gold mines of Skapté-Hylé belonged to Thasos, when they were appropriated by Athens. With the collapse of the Athenian empire in the late fifth century, this district reverted to the control of the local people. Around 360 BC, Thasos, at the urging of Athens and backed by an Athenian fleet, mounted a successful offensive and recaptured the mines of Skapté-Hylé, refounding the Thasian city of Daton and renaming it Krenides. In the spring of 356 BC, the Thracian king Kersobleptes prepared to attack Krenides. Athens, involved in the Social War, could not provide help to the colonists of Krenides, so they appealed to Philip of Macedon, who had recently taken possession of Amphipolis, for help. Philip successfully repelled this attack, and recolonized Krenides under the name Philippi, which he strongly fortified and provided many new colonists. Krenides had produced one series of Attic gold staters, with the head of Herakles on the obverse and a tripod on the reverse. This first issue was very distinctive in that the paws of the lion's skin did not cover Herakles' neck. As Philippi, the town continued the production of the staters in two series, the first without the paws covering the neck, the second, from which this coin is a part, with the lion's paws in the more conventional location, closed around the neck. Minted alongside this stater were also silver tetradrachms of a weight standard conforming with the standard employed by the Chalkidian League, Akanthos, and Philip's royal coinage. Gold production at Philippi was short lived as this second series was suspended before the end of the 340s.

The final winners of all Triton XXIII lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 14-15 January 2020. Triton XXIII – Session One – Greek Coinage Part I will be held Tuesday morning, 14 January 2020 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and in person at the public auction, 22.50% for all others.