CHIOS SILVER TETRADRACHM – ISSUE UNLISTED IN PRICE AND SEEMINGLY KNOWN IN ONLY 2 SPECIMENS – CHOICE VF NGC GRADED GREEK IONIA COIN (Inv. 19474)

$1,650.00

19474. IONIA. ISLAND OF CHIOS. CIVIC ISSUE WITH THE TYPES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ca. 290–220 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 17.08 g, 31 mm. Posthumous issue of Chios, ca. 270–220 BC.
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, Archaic sphinx seated on base right above AV monogram in left field.
Price unlisted, but cf. Price 2367 = Mektepini Hoard 308, Bauslaugh series 33, struck from the same obverse die; another specimen of the AV issue struck from the same obverse die appears in Lanz 132, 11/27/2006, lot 150.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, “[unlisted in M. Price],” extremely rare and apparently known in only 2 specimens.

This interesting variety seems to have been unknown to Price, who catalogued related issues with the characteristic archaic looking sphinx seated on a base to right (Price 2366–2367). It certainly belongs with these as the same obverse die of Price 2367 was employed here.