Ancient Coins and Antiquities

BOHEMIA, gold Stater, 3rd century BC, after a Macedonian royal issue struck at Sardes, naming Philip III Arrhidaeus (323-17), helmeted head of Athena right, rev. Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylus, trident in left field, [-]ιλιππου, 8.41g/12h (DLT –; Allen –; cf. Nash 69). A few marks on edge, otherwise very fine, struck from dies of subtly ‘celtisized’ style, extremely rare £1,200-£1,500

Glendining Auction, 28 July 1999, lot 1; M. Bridgewater Collection

During the course of the 3rd century BC, the peoples of northern Europe struck a large series of imitative gold coins. The vast majority of these followed the model of Philip II’s Apollo/Biga coinage, but rarely we also find coins that follow the types employed by Philip’s son and successor, Alexander III. The coin offered for sale here belongs to the latter category, but, remarkably, it carries the name of Philip, not Alexander; such coins were issued under the auspices of Philip Arrhidaeus, Alexander’s half-brother, but they were not widely imitated.