MACEDON (ROMAN PROVINCE). Aesillas, quaestor, circa 95-70 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 15.26 g, 12 h), uncertain mint in Macedon. MAKE[ΔONΩN] Head of Alexander the Great to right, with horn of Ammon over his ear; behind to left, Θ. Rev. AESILLAS / Q Money chest, club, and chair; all within laurel wreath. AMNG III/1 72.223. HGC 3, 1110. Lightly toned. A few light scratches and minor porosity, otherwise, very fine.


This extremely common issue of the Roman quaestor, Aesillas, has symbolism which is full of meaning, and was struck to entice the warlike Thracians to join Rome in her fight against Mithradates VI of Pontos. Very little is known about Aesillas, but at the time this coin was struck, Macedon, after the defeat of its last king, Perseus (179-168 BC), had been a Roman province for the better part of a century. The obverse is interesting in that the legend, 'MAKEΔONΩN', appears in Greek and shows the head of Alexander the Great with the horn of Ammon above his ear. The type must have been chosen due to the familiarity of coins in the name of Lysimachos, which also sported the head of Alexander and circulated in the region. The reverse is surrounded by a laurel wreath, which recalls the New Style issues from Athens, a widely accepted trade coin, yet the legend is Latin and the types refer to Aesillas' role as quaestor, basically a tax collector and auditor. The cista or basket to the left was used to collect the taxes due, while the chair on the right was used by the quaestor when performing his duties. The Q in the field is simply an abbreviator for quaestor, and the club reiterates the type as Macedonian, and alludes to Alexander's close proximity to Herakles.