Nomos 33

MACEDON. Aineia. Circa 510-480 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 23 mm, 15.82 g). On the left, Aineias, in armor, advancing to right, holding a horizontal spear with his right hand and carrying his father Anchises on his left shoulder; on the right, to Aineias's left, his wife Kreousa, advancing to right, her head turned back to left, carrying her son Askanios on her left shoulder. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. Asyut 194. HPM p. 151, 7 and pl. III, 27 (Berlin). HPM p.151, 8 and pl. III, 29 = Jameson 932 = SNG ANS 67. Extremely rare, one of four examples known and of great mythological interest. Well-centered but struck on a slightly tight flan. Porous, otherwise, nearly very fine.

From the Collection of Jonathan H. Kagan; bought in the 1990s from an American dealer.

This now extremely rare issue must have originally been a somewhat extensive one, since the four known examples seem to be struck from four different die pairs. The other three each have a added symbol on their obverse (two with a ram's head and one with a rosette) as well as an inscription (our coin's tight flan makes the presence of a ram's head at top center between those of Anchises and Askanios impossible to verify).