★ Alexander 'the Great' receiving arms from Nike ★

MACEDON. Koinon of Macedon. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 27 mm, 12.08 g, 6 h), Beroea, time of Severus Alexander, circa 231-235. AΛЄΞANΔPOY Head of Alexander 'the Great' to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. ΚΟΙΝΟΝ ΜΑΚЄΔΟΝΩΝ NΕ Alexander, nude to the waist, seated right on low throne ending in lion feet, resting his right hand on the throne and his left in his lap; before him, on the right, Nike standing front, head to left, presenting crested Attic helmet to the king with her right hand and placing her left on a shield set on ground; shield boss decorated with Achilles slaying Penthesilea. AMNG III -. Dahmen, Alexander -. Nomos 16 (2019), 79 corr. ( same dies, but reverse legend misdescribed). RPC -, cf. VII.2 online ID 71626 = Winterthur I, 1670 (differing obverse and with Β ΝЄ on the reverse). Of the highest rarity, apparently the second known example and only the third known coin with this reverse type. A highly interesting issue with a lovely reverse scene. Somewhat rough, otherwise, good very fine.

From a European collection, formed before 2005.

The lovely reverse scene depicted on this coin is directly derived from one of the famous Aboukir medallions (Berlin 18200021 = Dahmen pl. 27.7), which very likely also originated from the Macedonian Koinon. We see Alexander, the greatest of all Macedonians, in a relaxing posture seated to the right on a lion throne (no doubt an allusion to the proclaimed descent of the Argeads from Herakles), receiving lavishly decorated armor from Nike to prepare him for his conquest of the world.