As always, outstanding! But, for someone not knowledgeable of this coin, like me, what was the time period for it's minting? Guess I'm too lazy to look it up, but I wanted to congratulate you on acquiring it, so I'll just ask you, lol. Looking good, my friend, Kenneth
Thanks! It was struck anywhere from 323-317 BC. That was when Philip III was King/ under Menander (Regent)
If you're going to get one of the Philip Staters, get one from the Magnesia mint! They had some beautiful dies. This reverse is 100% perfect. I don't have a Philip type AV Stater. I have long planned to get one, should probably trade in for one of my Carthage EL Staters (I have two of those) and a couple Roman/Byz Solidi. I do have an Alexander III type AV Stater, probably a bit posthumous, around this time, but from an uncertain mint (my vote would be Salamis). Could use a better photo: And a Lysimachos from the Magnesia mint with the same "bee" control symbol, as it's always described. (And somewhere I have the Alexander Drachm from Magnesia with the same control symbol.) Honestly, I'm not convinced it isn't supposed to be a "fly" (which I would consider much more interesting!):
