Lot 1795

Description

Ionia, Ephesos, Kingdom of, Lysimachus, (323-281 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (17.155 grams), Ephesus mint, style of that issued c.294-287 B.C., obv. head of Alexander to right, with diadem and horn of Ammon, within dotted border, dotted border, rev. Athena enthroned to left, supporting Nike, to inner left a bee, in exergue a monogram of **SG*, to left **BASILEWS to right **LUSIMAXOU, (cf.S.6814, Thompson 166, M.426). Well centred and with a very high relief of finest style, struck on a full flan with a good eye, nearly extremely fine and very rare.

The early Ephesus mint issues of Lysimachus have some of the finest of the artistic representations of portraiture of Alexander the Great. The issue signed by a monogram and with the bee symbol is rarely seen in tetradrachms. It has a very similar style to the best of the fine 'K' tetradrachms of Pergamon. A similar example was sold in our Noble Numismatics Sale 65 (lot 1801 for $3450).