KINGS OF THRACE. Lysimachos, 305-281 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 32 mm, 15.95 g, 12 h), Tenedos, circa 175-155. Diademed head of Alexander the Great to right with horn of Ammon over his ear.
Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ Athena seated left, holding Nike, crowning the king's name, in her right hand and leaning with her left arm on shield decorated with aegis; behind, transverse spear; to inner left, monogram of HPTY; in exergue, labrys. Meadows, Double-Axe, Group E, - (O13/R-, unlisted reverse die). Extremely rare. Harshly cleaned and hence somewhat rough
, otherwise, good very fine.
From a European collection, formed before 2005.
The Tenedian coinage in the name of Lysimachos is uniformly very rare. These civic coins were struck in the late 3rd to early 2nd centuries; they thus precede the famous late Hellenistic issues of the island with the janiform head by more than a century. Tenedos guarded the entrance to the Hellespont and served as an important waypoint for every ship sailing to or from the Propontis and the Black Sea. Since these were areas where posthumous 'Lysimachoi' (mostly from Byzantion) dominated the trade, the Tenedians must have decided to issue the type of Lysimachos rather than that of Alexander to simplify their relations with merchants and sailors.
