Here's a coin dating back to the early 90s, purchased from a local coin dealer. I have looked high and low trying to nail down the mint for this coin, but with no success. I didn't see it on Wildwinds. Given the massive coin output for Alexander III, I ran out of gas, so the coin has been labeled Lampsakos Mint, but that's just a guess. The off center reverse some sort of mythological creature, but I am not sure exactly which one. This coin weighs 16.9 grams and is approximately 25 mm in diameter., 11 h. Any ideas? Thanks.
Thank you. It never occurred to me that the symbol would be perpendicular to the figure of Zeus seated. It's interesting how the mind works.
In a curious coincidence, the sideways pegasus bears some resemblance to the horned helmet on Seleucus Nicator's "trophy coinage": (Source)
Yes, change the orientation, and some of these symbols become quite abstract. It seems that the mind is hard-wired to view objects in a pre-set mode. M. C. Escher specialized in creating illusions and ambiguity in his works:
Actually your coin is a Price 44 which he ascribes to Macedonian mint but is usually considered to be the mint of Amphipolis. It is Troxell C 5 which puts it firmly in the lifetime group rough dating circa 327 to 325 B.C. (This is very rough) For comparison This is my Tetradrachm of Alexander III Price 29 Troxell B 7 rough dating 332-326 B.C. 17.16 grms 22 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Thanks. I appreciate the information. The coinage of Alexander III is so vast, it is quite difficult, sometimes, to identify the location for a particular coin. You have an excellent example. The reverse is especially nice.
It is interesting, to me, that almost all the examples at Shanxi 's link have deeply struck , concave reverses....like yours.
