I bought this coin to add to my Alexander the Great collection for its uniqueness...but now I'm a bit confused The reverse has the B A that is supposed to mean it's Alexander (or in his name) but I don't know what the rest of the reverse says? As well, I cannot find any other Macedonian shields with the strange swastika looking design in the middle? I have searched AC search and wild winds with no luck. Can anyone help me properly ID this? bought as an unidentified Greek coin I have it labeled Alexander iii the Great Shield/helmet 16.94 MM 6.07 Gr And please post any Macedonian shields, Alexander the Greats or whatever you feel is relevant!
Thanks TIF! Huh, I didn't realize all the way down to Philip V was even minting in Alexander's name. Just curious, what did you type in the search to find it so fast?
MAKE ΔONΩN There seems to be a lot o variations on the legends on the reverses of these and the specimens are all pretty ugly. That, by comparison, makes yours look pretty good.
Very interesting. Thanks Doug! I typed MAKE ΔONΩN in Google translate and it said, "make donate". I suppose it was to be donated to the troops wearing those unique helmets. Edit: total derp moment when I realized MAKE ΔONΩN means Macedonian. And that those aren't the B and A that indicate Alexander
Actually, it wasn't fast! It took far longer than expected. I thought it would be a chip shot! As you probably noticed, most of the small AE macedonian shield coins (with whatever in the center) have reverses with a different style of helmet and with B A, without having Macedon spelled out. I'm not sure which combination of search words led to the coin, but it was buried among others in whatever list resulted. I think it was just "AE macedonian shield". I just tried again just now using "AE macedonian shield helmet" and got 67 hits. One of them is another match for your coin, although not the one I posted above, and I didn't see the one from the previous post in this list. Sometimes I think acsearch gives inconsistent search results so maybe it wasn't any lack of appropriate search terms on your part. https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1872570
I'm with you in Ac searches inconsistency. But really appreciate you taking the time to help a coiner out!
BA is short for basileus, which means "king." My only Macedonian shield coin, a tiny bronze: Perseus, 179-168 BC Greek AE 14.8 mm; 2.77 g Macedonia Obv: Macedonian shield; wheel-ornament in center. Rev: ΒΑ-ΠΕ above and below harpa, star below. Refs: Sear Greek 6809; SNG Cop 1281; Lindren II (Europe) 1339; Gaebler 12.5.36.
these little bronze shield Greeks are quite varied and collectible. i have several, some with positive ID and some just known as interim
..it's easier for me to go to the table and take pics rather than try to find'em on me puter...here's the other GSB"S(Greek Shield Bronzes)..top one with monogram of Demetrius l Poliorketes ( The Besieger) and the others are, for now, interim issues till such time i can positively ID them..
The shield/helmet bronzes make a good cheap series to collect because there are many varieties and even the rare ones are rarely expensive in middle grades. Here are two Philip V shield bronzes that are neither B A nor MAKE ΔONΩN. The boss depicts the hero Perseus, whom Philip V named is son after: Macedon, Philip V 2.14g AE15, Uncertain mint in Macedon Obv: shield with Perseus as boss Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ; Uncrested Macedonian helmet Sear 6800, SNG Cop 1241-3 ex-Barry Murphy, January 2003 Macedon, Philip V, after 211 BC, 3.0g AE16, Uncertain mint in Macedon Obv: shield with Perseus facing LEFT as boss Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ; Uncrested Macedonian helmet, star above Ref: SNG Alpha Bank 1067 ex @Ken Dorney January 2012 The second one, with Perseus' head left, is rare. I knew it existed but it was nine years before I saw one for sale. It was not expensive because no one collects low grade variations of shield bronzes.
