The Stack’s Bowers Galleries January 2025 NYINC Auction features a pair of impressive and formidable silver coins issued by the tribes which inhabited the lands north of Greece in the early 5th century B.C., prior to the region’s consolidation under the Kingdom of Macedon. Archaic in style and far larger than typical Greek coins, these issues are a rare link to this little-known period in Macedonian history.
The first of the two coins is lot 31033, an Oktadrachm (or Tristater) issued by the Bisaltai between 475 and 465 B.C. The obverse features a decidedly archaic design of a nude warrior on foot behind his horse, both advancing right, while the reverse is a simple incuse square. Like most Macedonian tribes, the Bisaltai were primarily a pastoral people, taking advantage of the region’s hilly grasslands. As the coin suggests, they were warlike as well; they were one of the few tribes who refused to Medize during Persian king Xerxes’ invasion of Greece in 480 B.C. Notably, the Bisaltai controlled mines in Mount Dysoron that provided them with significant wealth in silver, accounting for the hefty 28-gram weight of their Oktadrachm.
The next coin, lot 31034, comes from the Derrones, a neighboring tribe of the Bisaltai. This colossal coin, usually denominated by numismatists as a Dodekadrachm, weighs over 32 grams in silver. The expansive obverse is filled by a driver leading an oxcart to the right, with a crested Corinthian helmet placed above the backs of the oxen. The reverse shows only a simplistic triskeles design. Even less is known about the Derrones than the Bisaltai; little can be conclusively said about them except that they flourished in Paeonia in the 5th century B.C. and that they evidently had access to highly productive silver mines. The meaning of the three Greek letters that surround the oxcart design remains uncertain; one hypothesis is that they indicate the names of tribal chiefs.
By the middle of the 5th century B.C., Alexander I had consolidated most of Macedon under his rule, ending production of this mysterious tribal coinage. Alexander was a clever diplomat, deftly walking the line between appeasing the powerful Persian empire to the east while forging relationships with his Greek neighbors to the south. A century later, his descendants Philip II and Alexander III would unite Greece and shatter the Achaemenid Persian empire. This gave Macedonians unrivalled power over most of the ancient world, overshadowing Macedon’s archaic tribal past.
Both of these rare ancient treasures are now open for bidding and will be auctioned live in Session 2, which will take place January 17 at 6:30 PM EST. Click here to browse all the ancient coins offered in our 2025 NYINC auction, including both the Live and Internet-Only sessions.
We are always seeking coins, medals, and paper money for our future auctions, and are currently accepting consignments for our August 2025 Global Showcase auction. Additionally, you can consign to one of our Collectors Choice Online (CCO) auctions, the next for which we are currently accepting consignments is set for May 2025. If you would like to learn more about consigning, whether a singular item or an entire collection, please contact one of our consignment directors today and we will assist you in achieving the best possible return on your material.
