Posthumous Alexander III tetradrachm

[David S10]

Hi folks,

Would anyone be able to identify the Price number for this Alexander III posthumous tetradrachm? I can't quite pin it down.

The left monogram is partly off-flan, but the right character is an M.

Under the throne is what looks like a spearhead, I was guessing Kolophon, but I can't find any similar tets from there.

Width:  26mm
Weight: 16.5g

Thank you in advance
Dave

[David S10]

Sorry, I seem to have navigated from the ID section, I would delete this post if I could (I've put another up in the ID section).
Dave

[Virgil H]

It is OK, I put Greek coins for ID here as well sometimes. If a moderator wants to move it they will. No big deal. Sometimes I find it better to put them here.

Welcome,
Virgil

[David S10]

Might any one have an idea on this one? It has me totally puzzled.


regards
Dave

[Altamura]

After a quick search at PELLA (http://numismatics.org/pella/results) I didn't find anything like this  .

The style of the Herakles is a bit different, perhaps it could be an ancient imitation.

Regards

Altamura

[David S10]

Thank you, I hadn't really considered that. I have run through hundreds (perhaps thousands? I've spent a few hours searching) listings in Pella (http://numismatics.org/pella/results).

I didn't see any exact matches for the obverse, but to my very inexperienced eye it didn't stand out as unusual, and the depiction of Zeus looks normal to me as well. But I'm not very experienced with these. My inexperienced eyes would have said the obverse was similar (not identical) to Price 21, and similar issues.

Possibly its not a spear head, perhaps an amphora?


Dave

[Callimachus]

The index of symbols in Price (vol. 2, p. 565) do not show any coins with spearheads under the throne. In fact, Price does not list any tetradrachms with spearheads on them. You mention Kolophon: That mint did not produce any tetradrachms (Price, vol. 1, p. 247 ff); and the drachms minted there had the spearheads mostly in the right field.

As for the letter M in the left field: Price's index (vol. 2, p. 599) shows too many to double-check. But since there are no spearheads listed on any tetradrachms, checking all the coins with M in the left field would likely turn up nothing.

It is possible that what looks like a spearhead could be another object.

Also, there are many coins of Alexander the Great that are not listed in Price.

[David S10]

Thank you Callimachus; that was about the result of my review in Pella too   Just too little to go on with, hence why I have reached out here to the experts!

Is there much consensus that this may be an imitation?


regards
Dave

[Callimachus]

Is there much consensus that this may be an imitation?

Not from me.
You look through the plates in Vol. 2 of Price and there are many that look more barbaric than this one. If anything, regional differences might be at play here. The lettering on the reverse looks fairy standard too.

[David S10]

Thank you!