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<p>[QUOTE="Only a Poor Old Man, post: 4522253, member: 111037"]Something nice came in the post today. After disinfecting the envelope and very carefully emptying the contents on a table, I was able to enjoy the latest addition to my yet small collection. A Lysimachos tetradrachm. Lysimachos was one of Alexander the Great's succesors (diadochoi). His coins are quite interesting and artistic and he wasn't shy to put his name on them. For these reasons they are usually a bit pricey, so when I found this one for the right amount (a bit over £300) I was happy to snatch it as I have seen ones in lesser condition going for double that. I even got it from a retail shop. With the prices that coins fetch nowdays in auctions, I still hope I did well.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1120308[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>I got this one because it has a decent amount of detail. Alex is well rendered and I particularly like the Athena side where you can see the spear in good detail plus the little Nike that she is holding. Usually these are the bits that are very worn out.</p><p><br /></p><p>Going back to the man himself, his life would make a good movie or a TV series. But again, this is true for all of Alexander's succesors. I wish HBO would realise that there is no need for dragons when real history can provide much more interesting storylines.</p><p><br /></p><p>His early years sound a bit like a myth, but there could be an element of truth in the stories surrounding him. He was born in Thessaly but due to family connections he was raised alongside Alexander in the court of Philip of Macedon. Apparently one day he pissed off Alexander so much (who was known to have a short fuse - especially when drunk) that he threw him in a pit with a lion. The story goes that Lysimachus defeated the lion bare-handed and by doing that he earned the respect of Alexander who made him his personal bodyguard for the rest of his life. This is according to many why you often find lions depicted on his coins. When Alexander died, Lysimachus was appointed 'General of Thrace' to the dislike of the local king. Eventually he joined the alliance of Cassander, Seleukus and Ptolemy against Antigonus. He declared himself King in 305 BC and that was the time that the famous tetradrachms bearing his name went into production. He was initially busy trying to stop rebellions in his territory and didn't really venture into Asia Minor until the time of the famous battle of Ipsus were Antigonus was slain. </p><p><br /></p><p>He knew when to pick his battles and knew how to deal with his allies as effectively as he dealt with his enemies. When Seleukus got too powerful, he got closer to Ptolemy by marrying his daughter Arsinoe II. While he gained some Antigonid territory after the battle of Ipsus, he soon had to negotiate peace with Antigonus' son Demetrios the Besieger who got control of Macedonia. Around that time, Lysimachus tried to expand</p><p>his control to include the regions surrounding Danube, but he was captured. He was released in exchange for the territories he controled in that region.</p><p><br /></p><p>He was able to overcome the danger of Demetrios by taking advantage of the Epirote king Pyrrhus' attack on Macedonia. He was allied to him for a short period, but eventually he managed to drive him out.</p><p><br /></p><p>His later years were not particularly happy. There was plenty of intrigue and back-stabbing and he had his own son killed for plotting against him. He died in battle at Corupedium when he was triyng to annex Lydian territories. He was almost 80 years old. A true soldier to the end!</p><p><br /></p><p>My last coin came within a couple of days from ordering it from Germany, but this one came from France, and it appears that their postal system is more affected by the whole current situation. But it is in my hands now! Post your Lysimachos tets or smaller denominations or any coins from his allies or enemies![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Only a Poor Old Man, post: 4522253, member: 111037"]Something nice came in the post today. After disinfecting the envelope and very carefully emptying the contents on a table, I was able to enjoy the latest addition to my yet small collection. A Lysimachos tetradrachm. Lysimachos was one of Alexander the Great's succesors (diadochoi). His coins are quite interesting and artistic and he wasn't shy to put his name on them. For these reasons they are usually a bit pricey, so when I found this one for the right amount (a bit over £300) I was happy to snatch it as I have seen ones in lesser condition going for double that. I even got it from a retail shop. With the prices that coins fetch nowdays in auctions, I still hope I did well. [ATTACH=full]1120308[/ATTACH] I got this one because it has a decent amount of detail. Alex is well rendered and I particularly like the Athena side where you can see the spear in good detail plus the little Nike that she is holding. Usually these are the bits that are very worn out. Going back to the man himself, his life would make a good movie or a TV series. But again, this is true for all of Alexander's succesors. I wish HBO would realise that there is no need for dragons when real history can provide much more interesting storylines. His early years sound a bit like a myth, but there could be an element of truth in the stories surrounding him. He was born in Thessaly but due to family connections he was raised alongside Alexander in the court of Philip of Macedon. Apparently one day he pissed off Alexander so much (who was known to have a short fuse - especially when drunk) that he threw him in a pit with a lion. The story goes that Lysimachus defeated the lion bare-handed and by doing that he earned the respect of Alexander who made him his personal bodyguard for the rest of his life. This is according to many why you often find lions depicted on his coins. When Alexander died, Lysimachus was appointed 'General of Thrace' to the dislike of the local king. Eventually he joined the alliance of Cassander, Seleukus and Ptolemy against Antigonus. He declared himself King in 305 BC and that was the time that the famous tetradrachms bearing his name went into production. He was initially busy trying to stop rebellions in his territory and didn't really venture into Asia Minor until the time of the famous battle of Ipsus were Antigonus was slain. He knew when to pick his battles and knew how to deal with his allies as effectively as he dealt with his enemies. When Seleukus got too powerful, he got closer to Ptolemy by marrying his daughter Arsinoe II. While he gained some Antigonid territory after the battle of Ipsus, he soon had to negotiate peace with Antigonus' son Demetrios the Besieger who got control of Macedonia. Around that time, Lysimachus tried to expand his control to include the regions surrounding Danube, but he was captured. He was released in exchange for the territories he controled in that region. He was able to overcome the danger of Demetrios by taking advantage of the Epirote king Pyrrhus' attack on Macedonia. He was allied to him for a short period, but eventually he managed to drive him out. His later years were not particularly happy. There was plenty of intrigue and back-stabbing and he had his own son killed for plotting against him. He died in battle at Corupedium when he was triyng to annex Lydian territories. He was almost 80 years old. A true soldier to the end! My last coin came within a couple of days from ordering it from Germany, but this one came from France, and it appears that their postal system is more affected by the whole current situation. But it is in my hands now! Post your Lysimachos tets or smaller denominations or any coins from his allies or enemies![/QUOTE]
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