Curious alexander III drachm

As I already had few alexander the great tetradrachms, I decided to get smaller drachm denomination and got this coin. The seller claimed it was rare type (there is a spade looking shape on the reverse) does anyone know about this type or can provide some background about its meaning or mint name etc? I like to know what is that spade or javelin shape thing is on the reverse?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Looks to be this:

Philip III Arrhidaios. 323-317 BC, Kolophon mint. Struck under Menander or Kleitos, circa 322-319 BC. Barley grain in left field, spearhead in right field. Price 1750.

 

awesome. Thanks @Severus Alexander for finding this. is this a rare type?

 

Not as far as I'm aware. There are a couple dozen on acsearch, and there are hundreds of varieties of posthumous Alex drachms. The spear head is neat, though! Also good to have one issued under his mentally disabled brother. Here's my Philip III (includes his name), Sardis w/ rose and monogram, Price P66:

 

I also have a drachm I would like to have identified. From what I can tell, the markings are an OA monogram underneath the chair, and a dog leaping left.

 

I didn’t know Philip issued coins in his own name of the Alexander type. I was only familiar with the 1/5 tetradrachm imitating Philip II.

 

No He did issue coins of his own I actually Have another Philip III tetradrachm which has great provenance of collection of an ottoman diplomat in late 19th century. I will post its image shortly mine also has philipe name on it.

 

Here is my Philip III tetra with his name as Philip on it. Ex-Cathedory Pasha

 

Why is the OP listed as Phillip III when it has Alexander's name on the reverse? This is the first time I've heard of a posthumous AtG listed in the name of the issuing authority.

 

@gsimonel which coin are you talking about ? The original coin on top? if yes there were many coins minted after alexander lifetime with his name on it even early seleukid coins had alexander name on them instead of seleukid kings

 

After the death of Alexander in 323 a succession crisis ensued. Alexander's half-brother Arrhidaeus was crowned king and assumed the name Philip, making him Philip III of Macedon. Roxana, Alexander's wife, was also pregnant, and when she gave birth to boy he was crowned Alexander IV a few months later. Because Philip III (Arrhidaeus) was mentally disabled and Alexander IV was an infant a regency was established with one of Alexander's generals, Perdiccas, as regent. While Philip III was nominal king of Macedon, and some of the coinage named him as such, he was little more than a pawn in the struggle for power, and many of the men that were fighting for power reverted back to naming Alexander on their coins before eventually taking the title for themselves around 305 BC. What you end up with is coins being minted in the name of Philip III and in Alexander's name while Philip was still co-king of Macedon.

 

@TheRed Very nice explanation Thanks!

 

Some clues, here, to be taken with a pinch of salt. Alexander the Great tetradrachms were probably struck during the late-330s BC, feature on the obverse Alexander in the guise of the demi-god Heracles (wearing a lion scalp), and on the reverse the seated figure of the supreme Greek god Zeus (holding a thunderbolt or a spear ?).

 

Very nice coin!
Maybe it is not a dog but Pegasus, like the one you can see at
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3172573
A coin (not the same as yours) with the same OA is shown here http://rg.ancients.info/alexander/tets.html
in about the middle of the document and it was minted in southern Asia Minor.
What is the the size and weight of your drachm?

 

or it could be a lion:
KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III 'the Great', 336-323 BC. Drachm (Silver, 17 mm, 4.24 g, 1 h), Magnesia ad Maeandrum, struck by Lysimachos, circa 301/0-300/299. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. [A]ΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to left, lion leaping left; below throne, A within wreath. Price 1985.
Here is the link:
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotv...&Lot=135&Val=6d225d9fdd1b0d1b7b5b473f73f01105

 

Alexander the Great coins may have eagles, horses, lions, elephants etc. But are any known to feature a Dog ???

 

I think you hit the nail on the head for that second one. To me, a dog just seemed to be a logical choice for something leaping. It looks more like a greyhound than a lion. Also, I can sort of see the fact that there is a wreath and not an O.

 

Here is the obverse. It’s 16 or 17 mm, and weighs 3.78 grams according to my scale.

 

Very interesting and beautiful coin, @arashpour ! I thought I could find the answer to your question about the pointed shape on the right on the reverse but I found nothing conclusive.

Here's an image that I found and the sellers description defines it as a javelin point.

 

@Deacon Ray Thanks so much for research the coin you found looks to be the same variation as mine.