Hello CT friends, I have two iconic ancient coins for sale. Please PM me if you're interested. Payment can be paypal, check or MO. Shipping is $4 First Class Parcel in US, international at cost. Cheers and happy collecting! John Prices are firm, no offers please. 1. So many of these drachms were struck at so many different mints over such a long period, that many are readily available in pleasing grades. I like varieties with interesting control marks, or sub-devices - this coin has a lion’s head, a B, and a pentagram. Everything about this specimen is exceptional: strike, centering, surfaces, style. As you all know, these are very popular, and with good reason - they are one of the most artistically important examples of ancient Greek numismatic art. $205 Kings of Macedon. Alexander III. 336-323 BC. AR Drachm (17mm, 4.07 gm). Kolophon mint. Struck under Lysimachos' general, Prepelaus, circa 301-297 BC. Obv.: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress. Rev.: ALEXANDROU, Zeus seated left, holding eagle and sceptre; lion's head above B in left field, pentagram below throne. Reference: Price 1833; Müller 342. 2. Here is a lepton of Alexander Jannaeus, commonly known as the Widow’s Mite. It would have been nice if Jesus had told us exactly which coin the widow dropped into the collection plate at the temple, but of course that had nothing to do with his message, so we’re left to conjecture. Most of the small copper coins circulating in Judaea at this time were leptons of Alexander Jannaeus, which come in several varieties. This is one of the more desirable ones, a bilingual type which includes both Greek and Paleo-Hebrew inscriptions. The makers of these coins were paid for quantity rather than quality, so off-center strikes are the norm. A coin in this condition, EF with a centered strike on both sides, is quite uncommon. $89 Alexander Jannaeus, 103-76 BC AE lepton - Widow’s Mite, 2.7g, 16mm; Jerusalem mint. Obv.: Hebrew script between Star rays (YHNTN HMLK) = “Yehonatan the king," surrounded by royal diadem. Rev.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝ∆ΡΟΥ (of King Alexander in Greek), anchor upside-down as if hanging on the side of a boat. Reference: Meshorer Group K; Hendin 1150.
