Ancient Lysimachus Gold Stater of Thrace NGC MS Star

Extremely Rare Lysimachus Gold Stater – One of Only Five Known

Lysimachus was a Macedonian officer that succeeded Alexander the Great. As a way of solidifying his rule, he struck gold stater coins deifying his former king by placing Alexander’s face on the coin. Regarded as being among the most gripping portraits of Alexander on coinage, it has survived the years to be graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in incredible Mint State condition with a Star designation, a Strike 5/5 and a Surface 4/5.

Only four other coins of this type are known to exist – one rests in the Bucharest Museum, and one exists in the ANS photofile. The latter is tied for finest known with this very coin, and you can now secure it for your collection!

Lysimachus (360-281 B.C.) was one of Alexander the Great’s trusted officers. After Alexander's death, the newly established empire was divided between Alexander’s generals and his family. There were many kingdoms formed out the empire, one of which was Thrace. As the generals divided up – and often fought over – the spoils, Lysimachus became king of Thrace in 306 B.C.  While Lysimachus ruled his kingdom for a quarter century, the later years of his reign ended in treachery and murder. After he put his own son to death, many people were horrified and whole cities revolted. Lysimachus met his end in 281 B.C. at the Battle of Corupedium. The lasting image of Lysimachus was the discovery of his body on the battlefield several days later, his faithful dog still by his side keeping carrion birds away from his corpse.

Minted in Thrace sometime around 260 B.C., this piece is named by Mainescu, author of the “Bible” of ancient coins of Lysimachus, as a “Future Plate coin,” meaning it is scheduled to be published in a future work. Imagine being able to pull a book off of the shelf and finding your own coin!

• DETAILED PORTRAIT OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT – The Lysimachus Gold Stater features a portrait of Alexander the Great wearing the Horns of Ammon. This relates to when Alexander visited the Oracle of Ammon in Libya in 333 B.C. After the visit, rumors spread that the oracle revealed that Alexander was actually  the son of the Egyptian deity Ammon. It was after that event that Alexander began stylizing himself as the son of the combined deity Zeus-Ammon and demanded to be worshipped as a god.

• EXTREMELY RARE – ONE OF ONLY 5 KNOWN COINS – This Lysimachus Gold Stater is one of only 5 known examples of this coin in existence.

• INCREDIBLE MINT STATE CONDITION – This coin has been graded by NGC to be in Mint State condition with superior strikes and surface designations. Of the 5 known coins in existence, it is equaled by only one other in its quality and appearance.

Only four other Lysimachus Gold Stater of Thrace coins are known to exist – and none in better condition than this specimen! Serious collectors want this coin so act fact is you want it to be part of your personal collection!