Nomos 15

KINGS OF MACEDON. Pausanias, 395/4-393 BC. Didrachm or Stater (Silver, 24 mm, 10.54 g, 9 h). Head of Apollo to right, wearing taenia. Rev. [Π]ΑΥΣ-ΑΝ-Ι-Α (the Ν retrograde) Bridled horse, with trailing rein, walking right with his left foreleg raised. SNG ANS 85 var. Westermark Pl. LXIX, 24 var. (=Hess-Leu 45, 1970, 139). Extremely rare. Well-struck, of good style, and attractively toned. Extremely fine.

From the Molard Collection, Switzerland, acquired privately from Tradart in Bruxelles, ex Monnaies et Médailles 72, 6 October 1987, 568.

This is one of the finest known didrachms of Pausanias (if not the finest). Pausanias was a rather obscure king of Macedon who came to the throne after the death of Aeropos (398/7-395/4), the short-lived successor of Archelaos I. Before being murdered by Amyntas III (father of Philip II), he also had to contend with an equally short-lived Amyntas II. That Pausanias actually had time enough to mint coins shows how important coins were in establishing legitimacy. This is one of the great rarities in the Macedonian regal series.