I recently
had the
good fortune to acquire an example of a relatively
rare Mesembria Alexander
Tetradrachm,
Price 1003, of which nine examples are known.
Unlike most Alexanders which bear a generic
portrait of
Herakles (the exception being
Odessos Alexanders
Price 1191-3 which bear a portrayal having the characteristics of Mithradates) this coin has a distinct
portrait quality Herakles with some of the features of
Alexander the Great, sufficient for
Price to describe it as an emission
"with the very fine portrait, apparently of Alexander in the guise of Herakles".The coin has a number of other unusual characteristics. It is the first identified and now documented example from a
reverse die that is a die match, albeit with erased and re-engraved controls, to that used to strike all known examples of
Price 1005. Until I acquired this coin and identified the match the
reverse die was only known in its modified state from
Price 1005 all the other examples of
Price 1003 being struck from one of three other
reverse dies.
My more extensive notes on this coin follow. Also attached is the
reverse die match comparison involving the erasure and re-engraving of controls between
Price 1003 and
Price 1005. A full example (obv + rev) of
Price 1005 is also attached to highlight and contrast the distinctive
portrait like nature of the
obverse portrayal of
Price 1003 when compared to the more usual
Mesembria portrayal of
Herakles that exists on other contemporaneous emissions.
My question to Forums: do you think that
Mesembria Alexander,
Price 1003, bears the
portrait of
Alexander the great portrayed as
Herakles and if so why would this single die (also used to strike
Price 1004) be the only known example of such a portrayal, as
Price suggests?
Thrace, Mesembria, ca. 200-190 BC, AR Tetradrachm Obv:
Head of
Herakles right, with the features of
Alexander the Great (?), wearing a
lion skin headdress.
Rev: ΒΑΣIΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ,
Zeus enthroned left, legs draped,
confronting eagle held on outstretched right
arm and grasping lotus-tipped
scepter, crested Corinthian helmet with cheek guards facing right before, ΔIOΣK in
exergue.
Ref:
Price 1003; Waggoner
“The Propontis Hoard” Revue Numismatique 1979, 30 (same
obverse die). The same
reverse die as that of this coin was re-cut by erasing the name ΔIOΣK while adding a
monogram beneath the throne and was used to strike
Propontis Hoard 31,
Price 1005.
One of nine known examples of
Price 1003 and the only one from this
reverse die, which was recut to
Price 1005.
Mesembria ca. 200-190 BC.
(31 mm, 16.85 g, 12h).
ex-CNG 42, 29 May 1997, 245.
Price in describing this emission noted that
”The Mektipini and Propontis hoards document the chronology of the chronology of the late third and early second century BC. In particular they pinpoint the dramatic issues of Dioskouridas, with the very fine portrait, apparently of Alexander in the guise of Herakles as an issue of the 190’s BC.” As indicated by
Price, this is one of the few Alexandrine issues where there is a reasonable likelihood that the portrayal of
Herakles is based on a
portrait of
Alexander the Great. For whatever reason this portrayal was restricted to a single
obverse die that was used to strike all known examples of
Price 1003 and 1004. It may have been the precedent for the invocation of Mithradates and
Herakles on the short-lived issue of tetradrachms from nearby
Odessos under the magistrate Lakon (preceding coin) a century later.
The letters ΔIOΣK in
exergue of this coin are an abbreviation of ΔIOΣKOYPIΔA, the name Dioskouridas, a relatively common name in the second century BC. The full name is spelt out in the
exergue on an associated emission from the same
obverse die,
Price 1004. Die wear evident on this coin (
Price 1003) indicates it was struck after
Price 1004. This revised sequence is further validated by the fact that the
reverse die of this coin was subsequently re-cut by erasing the letters ΔIOΣK while engraving a
monogram beneath the throne. In this modified form the
reverse die was then used to strike
Propontis Hoard 31,
Price 1005. This is the only known specimen of
Price 1003 on which this
reverse die, the precursor to
Price 1005, has been identified. Until the
identification of the
reverse die on this coin, it was only known in its modified re-cut form on
Price 1005 where ΔIOΣK is faintly visible in the exerge.
The
reverse die of this coin also warrants further mention for its unusual iconography when compared to others in the series. The associated Disokouridas issue,
Price 1004, bears
Zeus seated on a backless throne, the latter depicted only in an outline form only. On this coin the base of the throne is quite detailed, while a disjoint and improperly scaled back, defined in a linear outline
style appears to have been added almost as an afterthought. The same effect is apparent on the three other
reverse dies used to strike
Price 1003. The left
side offset of the outline of the throne back relative to the throne base is pronounced, while the height of the back rises above the shoulder of
Zeus, so as to intersect
his head. This incongruity of the treatment of the back of the throne is a stark contrast to the well styled, detailed engraving of the balance of the
reverse yet this
style of
reverse became the norm on subsequent issues.
