★ Rare & interesting countermark ★

KINGS OF MACEDON: Antigonos III Doson, 229-221 BCE, AE19. 4.08g, 18mm.
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right. c/m: prow
Rev: Pan right, erecting trophy to right; B-A across upper field, monogram of Antigonos between legs. In left field, Macedonian helmet; in right field, wreath.
Moushmov 7308; SNG Copenhagen 1205-11; SNG Alpha Bank 1017-1019; Furtwängler Group 18.
Recent scholarship indicates that the Pan types were issued past the death of Antigonos II, through the reigns of Demetrios II Aetolicus, Antigonos III Doson, and possibly even into Philip V’s reign. Furtwängler (Beobachtungen zur Chronologie antigonidischer Kupfermünzen im 3. Jh. V. Chr, Obolos 7 2004, pp. 277-290) assigns this issue to Antigonos III Doson, who led Macedon’s last resurgence before its final defeat (to the Romans) under Philip V and Perseus.

We’re aware of one other example of this very rare countermark on a bronze of Perseus (179-168 BCE), published online by Ed Snible. Byzantion countermarked prows on silver in the late 3rd c. BCE (cf. the Büyükçekmece hoard), and a few Byzantion countermarks (not prows) exist on bronze from the same period (see Stancomb 2007 The Numismatic Chronicle Vol. 167, pp. 25-32). Normally the Byzantion countermarks include an ethnic, although this could be a later product of that city. Another intriguing possibility is that this is a Roman countermark from the Third Macedonian War, which saw the complete subjugation of Greece. In any case, a very interesting coin!
Estimate: 100