ALEXANDER THE GREAT GOLD STATER – LIFETIME ISSUE OF SARDES WITH RARE STAG HEAD SYMBOL – MINT STATE FINE STYLE NGC GRADED GREEK KINGDOM OF MACEDON COIN (Inv. 20931)

$23,500.00

20931. MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. ALEXANDER III, THE GREAT, 336-323 BC.
Gold Stater, 8.60 g, 19 mm. Lifetime issue of Sardes, ca. 330/325-324/3 BC.
Obv. Head of Athena right, wearing large Corinthian helmet with coiled snake ornament below the plume. Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Nike standing, her hair gathered in a topknot, looking left, holding wreath in right hand and stylis over left shoulder, large stag head looking right below left wing.
Price 2531; ANS 1950.146.1 (same dies); Paris, Fonds général.359 (5-10-42) (same dies); Vienna ID97625 (same dies).
NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, FINE STYLE, a very rare variety with a fascinating symbol.

The Pella database cites 10 specimens of this type, including pieces in New York (ANS), London (British Museum), Vienna, Paris and Berlin. The stag head, very similar to that used here, was the symbol of Phanes, a king or official in seventh century BC Ionia, who is the first person to have placed his name on coins. The “Phanes stag head” appears only on two instances on Alexander staters, the present issue of Sardes (as here), and Price 2273, attributed to “Teos.” While we cannot assume that the stag head is a reference to Phanes, the similarity to its predecessor is striking.