Good day everyone! I
hope the weekend finds you all in
good health.
Today I'd like to present a coin that is a top favorite in my
collection - a
portrait coin of
Alexander the Great, struck under
Lysimachos a few decades after
his death:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=186325These
types are nothing new
nor are they
rare - but they are beautifully struck in very high relief, and exhibit some of the finest
portrait artistry to come out of the Hellenistic era. I’m continually amazed at the
quality, not only of the engraving, but also of the
flan preparation and striking - despite the large quantities minted, and the high relief, there seem to be very few
poor, soft, or off-center strikes.
I'd dreamed of owning one, but wasn't sure I'd ever be able to afford it. When this opportunity came up, the
price was just so within my means and I went for it. This particular variant seems to be somewhat
rare, unlisted in Thomson or Müller. I found only a handful of similar
types online. My coin shares dies with a couple of them, which in turn were struck from the same dies as the Stockholm plate coin.
Of course with these coins the main attraction is the
obverse portrait. On my specimen, the
portrait exhibits some wear but overall is very well done: perfectly centered and attractively
toned. The
reverse is slightly less pleasing, but it
still retains all the essential details. The coin has been and will remain a
collection favorite.
Thanks for your time and interest!
