Poor old Arrhidaeus lived a sad life after the death of his half brother Alexander. During his "reign" as king, crowned Philip III, some very nice coins were minted in his brother's name. I am fond of those minted in Babylon, and recently picked one up. Philip III Arrhidaios AR Tetradrachm 323-317 BC. In the name of Alexander III. Babylon mint. Struck under Archon, Dokimos, or Seleukos I, circa 323-318/7 BC. 26mm, 17.20 g Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin. Rev: Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; M in left field, ΛY above strut of throne. AΛEΞAN∆POY (Alexander) downward, BAΣIΛEΩΣ below throne. Price 3692 Feel free to post any recently acquired tets or Hellenistic coins.
The amazing thing about 'Alexander' type coins is just how many people and places continued to make them long after he was gone. Some put their names where his had been but more made their coins look more impressive by labeling them Alexander's. I don't have a Phillip III to show (I do not specialize in these!) but below is one marked Seleucus (perhaps Seleucus II?) and one marked Alexander from Arados dating to 185 BC (by comparison to a die duplicate, also fourree, centered higher so the exergue OE showed). I don't own the Price book. When was the last Alexander type tetradrachm made?
Philip III is an interesting historical figure. (How accurate is Mary Renault's portrayal of him in her Alexander series, I wonder?) And that's a very nice tet. I just have a drachm (Sardis): I'd like to know the answer to this too. I think the latest ones I've seen are from Odessos, dated to 80-70 BCE.
Very nice coins @dougsmit and @Severus Alexander Please feel free to mail them to me if you ever grow tired of them Doug, if someone doesn't beat me to it first, ill crack open Houghton-Lorber and get the full details for you when I get home. If the price of Price want so high I would love to own a copy. I'm sure, given all the incredibly knowledgeable people on this forum, that someone knows for sure when the last Alexander tet was minted.
Very nice Tet @TheRed ! I like the reverse on yours... lots going on. Here an P-III-A DRACHM: Makedon Philip III Arrhidaeus-Alex IV Drachm Amphipolis mint 259g 13mm Apollo-Youth horse VERY RARE SNG ANS 621 Le Rider123 And a Tet to offer up: Syracuse Tyrant Gelon 478-458 BCE AR Tet 24mm 16-7g Slow Biga Victory Artemis-Arethusa 4 dolphins Sear-Greek 914
Your coin is indeed Seleukos II, from the Susa mint. The control marks on the reverse are those of SC.787. A very cool coin. I have yet to get a tet of Seleukos II from the Susa mint. As always @Alegandron you have great coins. I've never seen such a drachm for Philip III, not that I'm even close to an expert on his coins. And the tet of Gelon is wonderful, very iconic. Good call @Andres2 that is what my book on the coins and image of Alexander says. Vey nice con too. Interestingly, I just read that the Koinon of the Macedonians struck bronze coins with an image of Alexander on the obverse from the reign of Elagabalus until Philip the Arab. I will have to find one of those coins.
That’s a great Phil III tet, @TheRed. Nice deep strike and I think the slight doubling on the reverse adds rather that detracts to the overall character of the coin. I have a Phil III hemidrachm I bought because I liked the flan flaw on the reverse that gives the illusion of Zeus seated with a mountain in the background. KINGDOM OF MACEDON Philip III Arrhidaios AR Hemidrachm. 2.08g, 13.8mm. In the name and types of Alexander III. Uncertain mint in Cilicia, struck under Philoxenos, circa 320-318/7 BC. Price 2962. O: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin. R: AΛEΞAN∆POY, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; ΦI in left field, ΛΣ below throne.
AlexanderIIItheGreat (336-323 BC). AR tetradrachm (15.98 gm). About VF, countermark, graffito.Late posthumous issue of Perga, dated CY 27 (195/4 BC). Heracles wearing lion-skin, AΛEΞANΔPOY, Zeus seated left on backless throne, right leg drawn back, feet on ground line, eagle in right hand, scepter in left; KI in left field, Seleucid anchor countermark in rectangle in outer right field.
We have had threads here on those not too long ago. There are many reverses but I have never seen one that copied an Alexander design.
