50 / 345
47
|
Session Five - Tuesday, February 14th 10:00am PST
1599
Macedonian Kingdom. Alexander III ' the Great'. Silver
Tetradrachm (16.51 g), 336-323 BC
. Odessos, ca. 120-90
BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion' s skin headdress.
Reverse:
, Zeus seated left, holding
eagle and scepter; in inner left field,
; below throne, mono-
gram. Price 1181; Topalov 69. Attractive old cabinet tone.
Superb Extremely Fine
.
Estimate Value ......................................................$400 - 500
The Hanbery Collection.
Enlargement
1600 Macedonian Kingdom. Demetrios I Poliorketes. Silver Tetradrachm (17.36 g), 306-283 BC
. Amphipolis, ca. 289/8 BC. Diademed and
horned head right.
Reverse:
BA
I
E
HMHTPIOY, Poseidon Pelagaios, nude, standing left, right foot propped on rock, holding trident in left
hand, right arm resting on leg; monograms to outer left and right. Newell 123; cf. SNG Alpha Bank 950-2 (position of controls). Fine style and well
centered. Nicely toned.
Nearly Extremely Fine
.
Estimate Value ....................................................................................................................................................................... $1,500 - 2,000
The Hanbery Collection.
The diademed portrait of Demetrios Poliorketes, which is included among the earliest numismatic depictions of a living Hellenistic king, elevates
him to the status of a god through the addition of horns. These not only respond to the horn of Ammon on Lysimachos' celebrated coin portrait of
the deified Alexander the Great, but refer to Demetrios' association with Poseidon (in his aspect as Taureos), whose sacred animal was the bull.
Indeed, the Athenians hailed him as a son of the sea-god when he entered their city in 291/0 BC. Should there be any doubt about his connection
to Poseidon, a depiction of the god - probably representing a lost statue - appears on the reverse.