Kingdom of Macedon, Philip II AR Drachm. Amphipolis, struck under Antipater or Polyperchon (for Philip III and Alexander IV), circa 320/19-317 BC. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress / Youth on horseback to right, holding reins and long palm branch; grain ear below horse, ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ around, Π below foreleg. Troxell, Studies, Group 8, 388 = Le Rider, Monnayage pl. 7, 22 = SNG Lewis 500 (same dies); Le Rider -; SNG ANS -; SNG München -; SNG Alpha Bank -; HGC 3.1 -. 4.06g, 12mm, 5h.

Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; Troxell identified six Attic weight drachms in this series with three varieties of control markings. This is the fourth known with these control symbols.

This remarkable drachm might initially appear to be a mule of an obverse of Alexander the Great and a reverse of his father Philip II, but the proportions, style and execution of both obverse and reverse dies seem to mirror those employed for tetradrachm production, albeit on a smaller scale, rather than regular simplified drachm dies. The beautiful horseback reverse type in fact replicates a type from Philip II’s tetradrachms, a completely different denomination altogether that was otherwise never employed on drachms. These quirks point to this extremely coin perhaps representing a trial piece, possibly produced in the uncertain political period following the death of Alexander III ‘the Great’ when the diadochi fought over and carved up his empire into several kingdoms.