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Æ Unit - Philip II Bow
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 359 BC - 294 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of Apollo facing right, rendered in fine Hellenistic style with elaborately detailed wavy hair swept back and tied with a laurel wreath or taenia, set within a beaded border. The portrait is modelled in high relief with strongly defined facial features, characteristic of Macedonian royal bronze coinage of the 4th century BC. The bare neck and naturalistic treatment of the hair reflect the accomplished die-engraving tradition of the Macedonian mint. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Philip II came to the Macedonian throne in 359 BC under siege — literally. The kingdom faced simultaneous pressure from Illyrian and Paeonian incursions, and the new bronze coinage issued under his name was part of a broader administrative reorganization of Macedonian resources, including the silver mines at Pangaion that would soon fund his military machine. Bronze issues of this period circulated domestically where small transactions demanded a sub-silver denomination the earlier coinage structure had never adequately supplied.
The date range extending to 294 BC reflects posthumous or imitative production continuing well after Philip's assassination in 336 BC.