MACEDON. Koinon of Macedon. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Medallion (Silver, 12 mm, 1.26 g, 9 h), in the names and types of Alexander III 'the Great' of Macedon and Lysimachos of Thrace. Beroea, time of Caracalla, 198-217, or Severus Alexander, 222-235. Diademed head of Alexander the Great to left with horn of Ammon over his ear. Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝ-ΔΡΟΥ Lion walking right. AMNG III 887. K. Dahmen: Alexander in Gold and Silver: Reassessing Third century AD Medallions from Aboukir and Tarsos, in: AJN 20 (2008), p. 536, no. 17 & pl. 109, 17. SNG Copenhagen 1381 var. (head to right and differing reverse legend arrangement). Extremely rare and very interesting. Rough surfaces and with traces of mounting, otherwise, very fine.



This highly intriguing small silver medallion belongs to the exceptional series of Macedonian commemorative issues in gold and silver produced in Severan times (see the commentary on Lot 622 above). Its iconography clearly draws on the coinage of Lysimachos, King of Thrace (305-281 BC). The choice of type should not, however, be understood as evidence for any particular veneration of Lysimachos himself, despite his Macedonian origins. Rather, it belongs squarely within the same broader tradition of Alexander commemoration. This is made explicit not only by the inscription naming Alexander, but also by the obverse type itself: although borrowed from the coinage of Lysimachos, the portrait famously represents the deified Alexander wearing the horn of Ammon.

Particularly significant are the clear traces of a former mount visible on the obverse. They strongly suggest that this medallion, too, was originally set in a gold frame, comparable to that preserved on Lot 622 above. The mount was subsequently removed, but its traces provide important material evidence for the original function of these extraordinary issues. Rather than circulating as ordinary currency, they were evidently conceived as prestigious objects of commemoration and display, intended to be worn or otherwise prominently exhibited. In this form, the evocation of Alexander was transformed from an antiquarian reference on a coin-like object into a highly personal expression of memory, status and Macedonian identity.