It is still unclear whether these fifteen
Macedonians coins will really be put up for sale later this month by the German
auctioneers Gorny & Mosch in Munich
[Picture from The Greek Reporter]
The coins belonging to the reign of Alexander the Great and of his father, King Philip II of Macedonia, and seem to
be linked to the monumental tomb at Kasta Hill. The estimated asking price is
500 Euros, though the coins could be sold for a much higher price and certainly
if the link with Amphipolis can be traced.
There must a law against such sales. In my
naivety I expect that the seller should be able to prove the legal and rightful
acquisition of such coins, but I have the feeling that the black markets are
still thriving … unfortunately.
Highlights of the collection on sale include:
-
a
tetradrachm from 356-355 BC carrying the name of PHILIP on the reverse and a
picture of Zeus on the obverse
-
a
tetradrachm from 355-349/8 BC depicting the head of Zeus with a laurel wreath
on the obverse
-
a
tetradrachm from 336-323 BC reading KING ALEXANDER on the reverse and showing
the head of Heracles on the obverse.
-
a
stater from 330-320 BC with the head of Athena wearing a Corinthian helmet on
the obverse and the name ALEXANDER on the reverse.
I can’t help wondering whether these coins are authentic or good imitations. In any case, it would be lovely to put one of the Alexander coins on display in my house,
wouldn’t it?
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