MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Alexander III the Great (336-323 BC). AV stater (19mm, 8.57 gm, 1h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 4/5. Posthumous issue of Abydus (?) Head of Athena right, hair falling casually loose and over left shoulder, wearing triple-crested Corinthian helmet pushed back on head, long intersecting crest ends, the bowl decorated with coiled serpent right / ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Nike advancing left, wreath upward in right hand, stylis cradled on left arm; trident head upward connected to O below in left field, ΔI below wing in lower left field. Price -, cf. 1523 for dies of similar style. A variety unknown to Martin Price and seemingly unique, The style of both obverse and reverse correspond to that seen on early posthumous issues of Abydus, where the plumes of Athena's helmet crest and handled in the same fashion, as is the Nike in her walking right stance and with pointed wingtips. Looking at the controls, this emission is possibly linked with Price 1516 - a drachm bearing an MO control where the O is placed beneath the M in much the same was as it appears on this coin. Price lists four mints with ΔI under wing in left field for staters - Greece, Sinope, Aradus (Philip III) and Memphis - however, none of those are stylistically similar to the present example and can rule them out with a high degree of certainty.

HID09801242017

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