KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’, 336-323 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 29 mm, 17.15 g, 12 h), Arados, under Ptolemy I as Satrap, circa 320-319. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev. AΛEΞANΔP[OY] Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to left, monogram of AP. Price 3426 ('Byblos'). The obverse struck slightly off center
, otherwise, good very fine.
From a Swiss collection, formed before 2005.
Traditionally attributed to Byblos, the issues with the ethnic monogram AP have recently been reattributed by Taylor (AJN 32, 2020) to a second mint of Arados. They are the longest continued series of Alexander tetradrachms struck with the same single monogram, extending from over a quarter of a century, from circa 327/6 to 301/300, and can only be dated according to their style and their die sequence, the present coin having been struck in circa 320/19 BC (Taylor obverse die 51).
