KINGS OF MACEDON. Philip II, 359-336 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 24 mm, 14.45 g, 1 h), Pella, circa 342/1-337/6. Laureate head of Zeus to right.
Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ Young jockey, holding palm frond in his right hand and reins in his left, riding horse to right; below horse, thunderbolt; in exergue, [N]. HGC 3.1, 864. Le Rider 277b (
this coin, D153/R220). SNG ANS 392 (
same dies). A lovely example, beautifully toned, struck in high relief and of fine style. Good very fine.
From the collection of F. Engel-Gros, Feuardent & Leman, 17 December 1921, 16.
Frédéric Engel-Gros (1843-1918) was a Swiss industrialist, philanthropist, and passionate collector of ancient art. A veteran of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, he later contributed to the inaugural exhibition of the Mulhouse Museum. In 1892, Engel-Gros acquired and meticulously restored the Château de Ripaille on Lake Geneva, where he housed his extensive collection of medieval and classical artifacts. He passed away in 1918, deeply saddened by his sons’ voluntary enlistment, mirroring his own wartime service.
Following his death, Engel-Gros’s impressive collection of art and coins was auctioned between 1921 and 1923, with the exception of a few important pieces, which were donated to the Louvre and other renowned museums, ensuring that his legacy as a patron of the arts would endure for generations to come.