Lot 3397

Description

Macedon, Kingdom of, Antigonos Doson, (229-221 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (17.200 grams), probably struck at Amphipolis mint, 227-225 B.C., obv. head of Poseidon to right, dotted border, rev. nude Apollo holding bow, seated left on prow, below **BASILEWS* and *ANTIGONOU*, monogram below, (S.6789, SNG Ash 3263-6, SNG Berry 386, SNG Alpha Bank 1046, ACNAC Dewing 1206-7, Boston 714-5). Well centred on obverse and reverse, minor scrape on cheek, light tone, unusually well struck for this series, good extremely fine and rare in this condition.

Ex Gemini I Auction Sale, New York, January 11-12, 2005 (lot 94). A cousin of Demetrios II, Antigonos surnamed Doson, undertook the government of the country, initially as regent, and later, in recognition of his successes, as king. Doson did in fact repulse the barbarians, restore Macedonian suzerainty in Thessaly and Macedonian influence in central Greece, and placed a large part of Caria in Asia Minor under Macedonian control. His greatest success however consisted in obliging the Achaians to enter into an alliance with him, surrender Acrocorinth, and collaborate with him in organizing a Symmachy (alliance), in which participated the Epirotes, Phokians, Boiotians, Akarnanians, Thessalians, Achaians and Macedonians (224 BC). In 222 BC at the battle of Sellasia, as 'hegemon' (leader) of the Symmachy, Antigonos defeated the reformist Spartan king Kleomenes III, thus securing the ascendancy of the Macedonian kingdom over southern Greece. He died in 221 BC, leaving the Macedonian throne to the seventeen-year-old Philip V, who had to confront the invasions of the Illyrians.