MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Philip II (359-336 BC). AR tetradrachm (24mm, 14.31 gm, 5h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 4/5, Fine Style. Posthumous issue of Amphipolis, ca. 323-315 BC. Laureate head of Zeus right / ΦΙΛΙΠ-ΠΟΥ, nude youth on horseback right, palm in right hand, reins in left; aphlaston below horse, Π• below raised left foreleg. SNG ANS 738. In 356 BC, Philip won control of Thessaly and the victory of his race horse in the Olympic games earned him more prestige. A blunt, hard-drinking and uncultured man, Philip was beloved by his soldiers and detested by the elite of most Greek cities, particularly Athens. In 338 BC, he crushed a combined Athenian-Theban army at Chaeronea, making him effective master of all Greece. His ultimate aim was to lead a united Greek army against the Persian Empire, but his assassination, in 336 BC, left the task to his charismatic son, Alexander III. His coinage in gold and silver was immense and coins continued to be minted with his name and types long after his death. This beautiful silver tetradrachm, struck circa 322-320 BC, bears a superb head of Zeus that appears to be modeled on the features of Philip himself, while the victorious race horse and rider recall Philip's successes at the Olympics.

HID09801242017

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