Lot 4488

Description

Macedon, Akanthos, (480-470 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (17.02 g), obv. bull kneeling to left, looking back, attacked by lion to right on his back, in exergue below exergual line of dots a bull's horn, rev. quadripartite incuse square, (S.1362, cf.BMC 3, Desneux [Les tetradrachmes d'Akanthos] cf.No.24, [cf. rev. die R22, also almost the same as obverse D22], cf.SNG Lockett 1285). Good very fine and very rare.

Akanthos was one of those cities that produced a very prolific coinage serving an international need in the archaic and classical period. They were minted on the Attic weight standard [17.2 grams for the tetradrachm], and formed an issue that could circulate with contemporary Athenian coins on equal terms.