Lot 4322
Macedonian Kingdom. Alexander III, the Great, 336-323 BC. Silver Drachm (4.4g) minted at Marathos in Phoenicia, ca. 230-225 BC. Head of Athena right wearing a crested Corinthian helmet. Reverse: Nike (Victory) standing left, holding a wreath and stylis; monogram outer left field. Price--, BMC Phoenicia p. xlii, A = Babelon, Perses 1439 = Rouvier 781 = De Luynes 3164; Houghton 940 (listed as Alexander I Balas). Extremely Rare. Superb Extremely Fine.
On the Mediterranean, the city of Marathos (Amrit) lay under the dominion of Arados (Arwad). Both surrendered in ca. 332 BC to Alexander the Great, whose gold staters this type most clearly copies. Traditionally assigned to the beginning of Marathos coinage, until fairly recently, the type was known only from two coins, the de Luynes specimen in Paris and the Houghton. The discovery of some Marathos drachms with a group of coins of Seleukos II has brought the known number up to a handful or so, while it has brought the likely issuance date down to ca. 230-225 BC.
This new evidence is helpful, but the issue still remains much an enigma. There is an extremely rare tetradrachm, bearing the ethnic, from this period; and it may be that these drachms figured in as an auxiliary fractional coinage. In ca. 219 BC, Marathos gained its independence from Arados. Perhaps then these coins are connected to events which would lead to this outcome. The issuance of a high-value silver coin would indicate that Marathos had achieved a great measure of autonomy. But Marathos did not stay long from the shadow of Arados. In 148 BC, Arados sacked the city, and Marathos was abandoned afterwards.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000.
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| Realized $8,050 |
