MAZACES SILVER TETRADRACHM – ATHENIAN TYPE ISSUE – CHOICE XF NGC GRADED GREEK MESOPOTAMIA COIN (Inv. 19321)

$1,250.00

19321. MESOPOTAMIA. MAZACES, ca. 331–322 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm of Athenian type, 16.52 g, 22 mm.
Obv. Helmeted head of Athena right. Rev. MZDK (Aramaic), owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent in left field.
Van Alfen, “The Owls from the 1979 Iraq Hoard,” AJN 12 (2000), Group V.
NGC graded CHOICE XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 2/5, scarce issue of particularly fine style for the series, and a specimen that it lacks any test cuts that are frequently found on these coins.

After the Macedonian conquest of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great often retained Persians as local satraps on the assumption that they would know best how to govern the indigenous non–Greek populations and make Macedonian rule more palatable. The Persian Mazaces was one such individual. He had had the misfortune of being appointed satrap of Egypt just after the Battle of Issus (333 BC) and only remained at this post until the arrival of Alexander in the following year. Mazaces is thought to have offered his submission to the conquering Macedonian king who then appointed him to govern the satrapy of Mesopotamia. Coins such as this, which imitate the Athenian tetradrachm but name Mazaces in Aramaic script, were probably struck in order to pay mercenaries of non–Greek origin and who were long accustomed to the types of the famous Athenian tetradrachm.