Head, Barclay V.: Historia numorum: a manual of Greek numismatics (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1887)

202

MACEDON.—(F) KINGS.


Demetrius Poliorcetes, B. C. 306-283.
Gold.

Head of Pallas.
Head of Demetrius with bull’s horn .
[B. M. Guide, Pl. XXXI. 15.]
Nike blowing trumpet, and holding
trophy-stand, standing on prow.

BASIAEDS. AHMHTPIOY Nike . .
EL Stater.
BASIAEDC AHMHTPIOY Armed
horseman with spear . . EL Stater.
BASIAEDS AHMHTPIOY Pallas
Promachos with shield and spear.
EL Stater.

Silver.


Fig. 143.

Nike, as above (Fig. 143).
Head of Demetrius horned.

BACIAEflC AHMHTPIOY Poseidon
wielding trident
Ad Tetrad., Dr., and | Dr.
BA^IAEDC AHMHTPIOY Poseidon,
as above Al Drachm.

Fig. 144.


Head of Demetrius horned (Fig. 144).
Id.

BASIAEDS AHMHTPIOY Poseidon
resting foot on rock, and leaning on
trident Ad Tetradr.
BASIAEDg AHMHTPIOY Poseidon
seated on rock, holds aplustre and
trident Al Tetradr.

The types of these coins refer to the naval victory gained by the fleet
of Antigonus, commanded by Demetrius, over that of Ptolemy off the
island of Cyprus in b. c. 306. The same victory is commemorated by a
monument discovered some years ago in the island of Samothrace, now
in the Louvre, consisting of a colossal Victory standing on a prow, as on
the coins. See Conze, etc. {Samotkrake, Bd. ii. p. 47 seqq.).
With very few exceptions the bronze coins of Demetrius Poliorcetes
have a prow on the reverse, and the letters BA (for BA^IAEflS). The
obverse type is usually a head of Pallas or of Zeus.
Pyrrhus was king of all Macedon, b. c. 287-6, and of west Macedon until
B. c. 284, and again B. 0. 274-272. If he issued silver coins in Macedon
they were probably, like those of Cassander, impressed with the name of