Lot 4056
Macedonian Kingdom. Perseus, 179-168 BC. Silver Tetradrachm (15.3g) minted at Pella or Amphipolis, ca. 173-171 BC. Magistrate: AY. Diademed head of Perseus right. Reverse: Eagle, wings spread, standing three-quarters right on thunderbolt; mintmaster's monogram at right; control-mark ΘE monogram above; between eagle's legs, AI monogram; all within oak wreath. Mamroth, Perseus 19b; SNG Berry 382. Minute flan flaw on reverse at 7 o'clock. Lightly toned, perfectly centered, and crisply rendered. Outstanding portrait. Extremely Fine.
Perseus, son of Philip V, was the last king of Macedon prior to the reduction of the country by the Romans. Succeeding his father in 179 BC, he energetically set about trying to restore the prestige of his kingdom, which had been badly shaken by the disastrous defeat of Philip V by the Romans at Cynoscephalae in 197 BC. However, his activities aroused the suspicions of the Roman Senate, resulting in the Third Macedonian War (171-168 BC). The decisive battle was fought at Pydna, where the Roman general Aemilius Paullus inflicted a crushing defeat on the Macedonians, thus ending the long history of the Macedonian monarchy. Perseus was obliged to adorn the triumph of Paullus through the streets of Rome, and he died two years later as an exile in Italy. In the earlier part of his reign, his coinage was struck at the full Attic weight standard (tetradrachm of about 17 grams), but following the outbreak of war in 171 BC, he was obliged to reduce the standard by about ten percent.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500.
The Hunter Collection; Ex Superior Stamp & Coin, June 2, 1992 Sale, Lot 4402.
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| Realized $2,415 |
