Tetradrammo¹, Zecca di Alexandria Troas (Troade), 163 a. C.

Descrizione sommaria (sono indicate in rosso le parti della leggenda usurate o comunque illeggibili):
D. Apollo, testa laureata a sinistra.²
R. ALEXAN in esergo. APOLLWNOS ZMIQEWS a destra e a sinistra a scendere.³ Apollo Sminteo in piedi a destra, faretra sulla spalla, sorregge arco e freccia con la mano sinistra e una patera con la destra; a sinistra due monogrammi, a destra a scendere RLH.⁴

La ricerca nel web di monete di tipologia simile ha prodotto i seguenti risultati:

1. http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=92716&AucID=99&Lot=388 Classical Numismatic Group > Triton VIII Auction date: January 11th, 2005 Lot number: 388 Price realized: 2,000 USD Lot description: TROAS, Alexandria. Circa 188-133 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.63 gm, 12h). Estimate $2000 TROAS, Alexandria. Circa 188-133 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.63 gm, 12h). Laureate head of Apollo left / APOLLWNOS ZMIQEWS, ALEXAN in exergue, Apollo Smintheus standing right, quiver over shoulder, holding bow and arrow in left hand, patera in right; monogram to inner left and right. Cf. Bellinger, Troy A133-A137; BMC Troas -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG von Aulock -. VF, toned, minor surface marks, hairline flan crack. Extremely rare. ($2000) From the Garth R. Drewry Collection. Ex Triton I (2-3 December 1997), lot 522. Situated on the coast of Asia Minor, southwest of the site of ancient Troy, Alexandria Troas was founded by Antigonos I Monophthalmos around 310 BC, under the name of Antigoneia. The inhabitants of the new city came from the neighboring towns of Kebren, Kolone, Hamaxitos, Neandria, and Skepsis. About a decade after its founding the place was enlarged by Lysimachos, king of Thrace, who renamed it Alexandria in honor of the memory of Alexander the Great. The city flourished and its prosperity continued into Roman times. This tetradrachm belongs to the period of the city’s autonomy following the devastating defeat of Antiochos III of Syria by the Romans at the battle of Magnesia in 189 BC. Apollo Smintheus is depicted on both sides of the coin, the deity actually being named in the reverse inscription. While the origin of his designation is uncertain, though it may be derived from sminqos, or mouse, whom the Greeks may have connected with disease; Homer, in the opening pages of the Iliad, has Apollo Smintheus bring down plague on the Greeks because of Agamemnon’s arrogance toward Chryses, the god’s high priest. Apollo Smintheus’ temple lay at Chryse, within the territory of Hamaxitos, one of the cities which had provided the original population of Alexandria. The statue of the god, by the celebrated Parian sculptor and architect Skopas, showed him standing with a mouse at his feet.
2. http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=98582&AucID=105&Lot=198 Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 29 Auction date: May 11th, 2005 Lot number: 198 Price realized: 3,250 CHF (approx. 2,697 U.S. Dollars as of the auction date) Lot description: Greek Coins Troas, Alexandria No.: 198 Schätzwert/Estimation: CHF 3000.- d=34 mm Tetradrachm circa 171, AR 16.94g. Laureate head of Apollo l. Rev. APOLLONOS - SMIQEWS Apollo Smintheus standing r., chlamys over l. shoulder, holding patera in r. hand and armed bow in l.; in inner l. field, two monograms. On exergual line on r., RL (130). In exergue, ALEXAN. An apparently unique and unpublished year of a very rare type. Good very fine Alexandria Troas was founded with the name Antigioneia, by Antigonos I Monophthalmos at around 310 BC. It was situated on the coast of Asia Minor, southwest of the ancient city of Troy. Its inhabitants came from the nearby cities of Kebren, Kolone, Neandria, Hamaxitos and Skepsis. The city was expanded by Lysimachos, King of Thrace, almost a decade after it was founded. He also renamed the city Alexandria in honour of Alexander the Great. The city remained prosperous well into Roman Times. This tetradrachm was most probably issued during the cities period of autonomy following Antiochos III of Syria defeat by the Romans at the battle of Magnesia in 189 BC. Apollo Smintheus is represented on both sides of this tetradrachm and also being named on the reverse. His designation may have originated from sminqoV (mouse), with which the Greek may associated disease. In the Iliad, Homer has Apollo Smintheus bring the plague to the Greeks as a punishment for Agamemnos’s arrogance toward Chryse, the god’s high priest. Apollo’s temple was built at Chryse in the territory of Hamaxitos, one of the cities from which the original population of Alexandria came from. The statue of Apollo, sculpted by the great Parian, shows Apollo standing with a mouse at his feet. The dating of the coins of Alexandria Troas does not present any problem of arrangement, as the date from the foundation of the city (300 BC) is shown on the reverse of the coins. The first known issue up to date was 164 BC (137 year after the foundation). The coin here offered, a previously unrecorded issue, records a date of 130 years after the city foundation, therefore seven years prior to the first known issue.
3. http://www.s110120695.websitehome.co.uk/SNG/sng_reply2a.php?verb=SNGuk_0300_2731 SNG Vol: III 2731 Lockett Collection State: Alexandreia Troas OBV Description: Apollo l., laur. REV Description: Apollo Smintheus standing r., bow and qiver at shoulder. REV Inscription: ALEJANDREVN - ARISTOU REV Secondary Inscription: [AP]OLLVNOS [Z]MIYEVS Period: First quarter 1st cent. -100 -75 Die Axis in numbers: 12 Die Axis in degrees: 0 Metal: AR Denomination: Tetradrachm Weight: 16.3 Wear: Worn Cast or Struck: Struck Acquisition: Manner of Acquisition: Purchase Auction House: Naville Sale Number: 1 Date of First Day: 04/04/1921 Lot Number: 2267 ID: SNGuk_0300_2731.
4. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/dept/coins/opac/cataloguedetail.html?&priref=113042&_function_=xslt&_limit_=10 Maker/s Alexandria (mint) Collection Lewis Collection Category coin Name Greek (Series) Troas (subseries) Alexandria (subsubseries) tetradrachm (denomination) Material/s silver Dimensions image(height): 32 mm image(width): 33 mm weight: 16.77 g die axis: 0 degrees Date circa 95 to 85 Provenance loan: Lewis, S.S. 1991 (Filtered for: Coins and Medals) Inscriptions/Marks design Position: obverse Description: Laureate head of Apollo design Position: reverse Description: Apollo Smintheus holding patera, bow and arrow; legend Catalogue ref/s 862 LW-0861 Accession Number CM.LS.862-R (Coins and Medals) (Reference Number: 113042; Input Date: 2004-11-23 / Last Edit: 2004-11-23).

Un saluto cordiale.
Giulio De Florio
 

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(1) Raccolgo in tabella le caratteristiche fisiche dei tetradrammi della tipologia di figura tratti dai link di cui sopra: