AITOLIA, Aitolian League. Circa 238-228 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28.5 mm, 16.92 g, 12 h). Head of beardless Herakles in lion skin headdress to right. Rev. ΑΙΤΩΛΩΝ Aitolia, wearing kausia, hunting boots and a short chiton that leaves her right breast bare, holding a spear with her right hand and a sword with her left, seated to right on a Macedonian shield atop a pile of Gallic shield ones; on the ground below her spear, carnyx; to right monogram of ΑΤ over ΖΗ. BMFA Suppl. 90 ( same dies ). Tsangari 466a (D2/R7, this coin ). Rare. A lovely, beautifully toned example, well-struck and sharp. Extremely fine.

Bought privately and from a European collection, originally acquired from Maison Platt in June 1939, from the Empedocles collection, Ars Classica XVI, 3 July 1933, 1136.

The Aitolians produced a series of tetradrachms for use in their basically unsuccesful war against Macedon in the third quarter of the 3rd century BC: most seem to have been melted down after the war and all are quite rare today (the finest survey of them can be found in Tsangari). Initially the Aitolians began striking Alexander-type tetradrachms, of which a single example is known, but since they were fighting the Macedonians they decided to vary their coin type from that of their enemies. They did so by retaining the head of Herakles but pairing him with a depiction of the statue of Aitolia in Delphi, erected to commemorate their defeat of the Celtic invaders of 279. It is interesting that some 40 years later, the Gallic shields they dedicated from the victory of 279 are now covered by a Macedonian one!