KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’, 336-323 BC. Stater (Subaeratus, 18 mm, 5.57 g, 8 h), a contemporary imitation, irregular mint, circa late 4th-early 3rd century BC. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled serpent. Rev. AΛEΞANΔΡOΥ Nike standing front, head to left, with her wings spread, holding laurel wreath in her right hand and stylis in her left; in field to left, trident head downward (?). Cf. Price 172 (for possible prototype). Somewhat rough and with breaks in plating, otherwise, very fine.
Stylistically, this plated stater is reasonably well executed, but its excessively low weight would surely have betrayed the plating at once. It is possible that such pieces were mixed in with larger groups of full-weight staters, where their low weight would have been less conspicuous