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Fantastic Quality Kos Silver Tetradrachm
215
Islands off Caria, Kos. Silver Tetradrachm (14.96 g), ca. 285-258 BC. Xanthippos, magistrate. Head of
Herakles right, wearing lion’s skin headdress. Rev. K-
W
IO-N, crab; below, magistrate’s name:
X
AN
Q
I
P−
P
O
S
and bow-in-bowcase; all within dotted square. Requier 63 (D11/R53); BMFA Suppl. 195 (same
dies). Untoned with traces of luster still present. A very impressive coin!
Superb Extremely Fine.
$5,000
From the Dionysus Collection.
While the previous lot depicts Herakles as an older man with a beard, reflecting an older Archaic and Classical tradi-
tion, on this coin he appears as a vibrant youth ready to take on all the enemies and monsters that Hera can throw at him.
This youthful type, which has its roots in Macedonia in the fourth century BC, appears on this third century Koan tet-
radrachm thanks to Alexander the Great, who employed this type for his imperial tetradrachms and made it a wide-
ly popular image throughout the Mediterranean world. So closely was Alexander associated with the image of the youth-
ful Herakles on his coins that it was not long before people began to identify the image of Herakles as a portrait of the
Macedonian conqueror. Here the Koans have simply remodeled their traditional Herakles obverse to take advantage
of the fame of Alexander and his internationally recognized currency that still shone brightly in the third century BC.
216
Islands off Caria, Rhodes. Silver Didrachm (6.68 g), ca. 305/4-275 BC. Head of Helios facing slightly
right. Rev. [PO
D
I
W
N], rose with bud to right; in left field, grape bunch and E. Ashton 157; SNG Keck-
man 452-3. Fine high relief style, untoned. Very Fine.
$300
From the Dionysus Collection.