This coin is somewhat an impulse buy, but the coin somehow attracted me, it is not like the other Alexander tetradrachms. Alexander III the Great AR Tetradrachm. Mesembria mint. Struck 125-65 BC. (33mm; 16.10g) Obverse: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress. Reverse: ΒAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY / ΔIO / MEΣAM. Zeus seated left with eagle and sceptre. Reference: Price 1128 What attracted me the most is the kind of "barbaric" style, yet it is still a civic issue from a Greek polis. I have seen imitations that have a nicer style then this one. I think the head is nice and preserved and the reverse show the inscriptions nicely. Also a big plus is the big flan size of 33mm. Does anyone have an idea why the late issued tetradrachms from Alexander have such a degenerated style? It still weights a good 16.10g, which I find quite a lot for this late. Also, Mesembria issued Alexander tetradrachms before in around 225 BC, and these had a lot nicer style then the 100 year later issue ones (like this one). Please show your late issued Alexander tetradrachms!
Here's one with nearly the same dimensions. Struck at Temnos as a civic issue, it attracted me most with the grapes and their "green" leaves. Price 1676.
How well can you draw a human face? It is a skill that you learn. Obviously, talent counts, but "talent" is often just opportunity. You father is a die cutter so you become a die cutter no matter how skilled you are. And the image is nicely executed. Your judgement is based on your experiences and expectations. For all you know, the die cutter was born with a vision problem that could not be corrected with contact lenses. Maybe his mother drank a lot of wine. Maybe he was a child who survived a year of draught and plague. And it takes resources to support the die cutter. Perhaps he could not discard his first efforts but had to use them. Probably a hundred other explanations could be offered.
I agree with what you say, but there seem to be a pattern of these degenerated styled Alexander tetradrachms, even in other cities (for example Odessos). Therefore it seems to be a more general cause rather than a personal cause to 1 die cutter. I guess that many die cutters from that time did not have the skills and talent, and as you said the resources to make nice dies. Thank you for your answer.
Nice Tet @Pavlos ... he looks ANGRY! How about a really late one when the Roman Republic occupied Makedon? RR Macedon occupation Alexander - Club Coin chest Quaestor Chair wreath Aesillas Quaestor AR Tet Thessalonika Mint BC 90-70
I really like your reverse as well, the grapes do attract the attention of the coin. That is interesting and very much possible, Odessos and Mesembria are close to eachother (around 100km), this could very well be the case. Do you have any reading that I can read about this? Honestly I still don't know what really attracts me about this coin, it just does I think the message of the angry face means that nobody should mess with Mesembria Great coin, very nicely struck. Interesting that they use the Greek alphabet on the obverse and the Latin alphabet on the reverse.
There was a lot of propoganda revolving around this Roman Tet: Here is my prior write-up... This coin is a bit strange. It bears legends in two different languages. On the obverse Makedonon ("Of the Makedonians") is written in Greek letters while the reverse features the Latin word Aesillas - the Quester in Roman Macedonia. King Mithradates VI of Pontos started to establish an empire of its own in the east. When he attempted to conquer Cappadocia, he came into conflict with another ruler of the east, King Nicomedes IV of Bithynia. Nicomedes asked the Romans for help. The Romans wanted to increase their presence in Asia Minor. Yeah, Imperator / Dictabor Sulla saw his opportunity during the First Mithridatic War! The Romans had to secure supplies. Therefore the Via Egnatia (Roman road) through Thrace and to Asia needed to be secure. The Via Egnatia was arguably the most important strategic route connecting the West and the East. In the first century, a major part of the Via Egnatia crossed areas on which the belligerent tribes of Thrace had some influence. The Romans needed to ensure the Thracians as allies. The Romans were no dummies. They knew that they could just buy the Thracians support. So, they paid the Thracians for staying put and not to harrass the Roman Legions or their supply route. The Romans created the coins in such a way that they could be readily accepted by the Thracians. Since the time of their King Lysimachus, between 305 and 281 BC, the Thracians were used to circulating coins that bore the portrait of Alexander the Great. Therefore, the Romans depicted Alexander with flowing hair and the horn of Ammon. During the time of Aesillas the Via Egnatia allowed the Romans to transport troops, supplies, and money. Mithradates fate was sealed. In 63 BC, the Roman general Pompey cornered him during the Third Mithradatic War. Mithradates saw no other way than to take his own life. Placating the Thracians with payments in generally accepted Alexander coinage enabled troops and arms to freely move from Rome to Asia. The Romans became the unchallenged masters of Asia Minor. How about one of his last lifetime issues? Makedon Alexander III - Alexandrine Babylon Di-Shekel / Tet 24mm 16.35g LIFETIME 328-311 Baal-Lion (This a local issue used in Babylon)