Nomos 16

KINGS OF MACEDON. Demetrios I Poliorketes, 306-283 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28 mm, 17.28 g, 2 h), Chalcis, 291-290. Diademed head of Demetrios to right, wearing bull’s horn above his forehead. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ Poseidon, nude, standing to left, his right foot on a rock, holding a trident with his left hand and resting his right on his right thigh; in outer field to left, Σ; below king's name to left, dolphin swimming downwards. Cf. CNG MBS 81, 2009, 371 (but with a differing legend arrangement). Cf. Newell 146 (but with a ΣΕ monogram instead of an Σ, and a differing legend arrangement). Extremely rare. With a striking and impressive portrait of Demetrios . Metal fault on the obverse and some minor marks, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From a German collection acquired prior to 2009.

This coin must have been struck during the second part of Demetrios's first issue from Chalkis. The very first, Newell 146 and the piece in CNG MBS 81, both have the positions of the king's name and title reversed: Δημητριου Βασιλεως, rather than the standard Βασιλέωϛ Δημητρίου as here.