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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Curtisimo, post: 8198139, member: 83845&quot;]Great thread [USER=99456]@Sulla80[/USER] and [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] .&nbsp; I was lucky to get a sneak peak of John’s Celtic example a while back and was very impressed then and just as much so now. </p><p><br /></p><p>Interestingly enough I acquired an example of this coin at the end of last year after missing out on the very same beautiful coin shown by [USER=17304]@kazuma78[/USER] .&nbsp; I started researching a bit myself but never finished compiling into notes. </p><p><br /></p><p>I also found Nicholas Wright’s article and found it very interesting.&nbsp; It was very useful how he analyzes the headdress, shield, and clothing of the fallen warrior to determine that some probably show a Macedonian foot soldier and others likely show “northern barbarians.” </p><p><br /></p><p>One thing not considered as far as I’ve found is that this iconography also crops up in a purely Macedonian context around this same time. Near the Ancient Macedonian capital of Pella is a tomb known as the Kinch Tomb (310-290 BC). The below painting is from the tomb. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1436224[/ATTACH] </p><p>To me it seems pretty clear that this painting and the scene on the coins are iconographically related. </p><p><br /></p><p>If we go back a little further we see a similar scene from the gravestone of a cavalryman from Athens who died ca. 394 BC.&nbsp; The Athenian cavalryman is fighting a Spartan holding a shield.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1436233[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Around the same time (ca. 400-375 BC) a Persian dynast from the Troad in Asia Minor put this scene on his tomb. The relief is in Greek influenced style and the dynast is fighting a Greek hoplite (helped by another Greek handing him spears ironically). </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1436244[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>I think it is possible that the scene on the coins is an iconographic borrowing of a popular ancient theme used here to celebrate the vaunted Paeonian cavalry.&nbsp; It shows the influence of Hellenization on Paeonian art. This, of course, doesn’t preclude the possibility that the falling warrior is meant to be a Macedonian or a “barbarian.”&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is my example. My unfortunate warrior is shirtless and wearing trousers so he is definitely not Greek or Macedonian. He is possibly an early representation of the Celtic tribes that are going to make life interesting for the Greeks while on their way to Galatia. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1436256[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">Kings of Paeonia</font></p><p><font size="3">Patraos (c. 335-315 BC)</font></p><p><font size="3">AR Tetradrachm, mint at Astibos or Damastion. </font></p><p><font size="3">Dia.: 24 mm, 1 h</font></p><p><font size="3">Wt.: 12.93 g</font></p><p><font size="3">Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo right</font></p><p><font size="3">Rev.: Warrior on horse rearing r., spearing enemy warrior who defends with shield and spear. </font></p><p><font size="3">Ref.: Paeonian Hoard 493-9; HGC 3, 148</font></p><p><br /></p><p>This coin made #6 on my <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/curtisimos-top-10-coins-of-2021.391380/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/curtisimos-top-10-coins-of-2021.391380/">top coins of 2021</a>.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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