Greek (Post-Hellenistic), Roman (Republican Era, Quasi-Provincial). Messene, Messenia. Magistrate Polykles. AR Hemidrachm (2.25g, 16mm, 10h). Struck c. 35 BCE.
Obv: Diademed head of Zeus facing right.
Rev: ME – Σ, ΠO – ΛV, and KΛ – HΣ in three lines bisected by tripod altar, all surrounded by olive wreath.
Published: Grandjean 203g (D125/R171 – this coin); BCD Peloponnesos II 2327 (this coin).
Additional references: BCD Peloponnesos 753 (same dies); Hoover HGC 5, 572; SNG Copenhagen 507; BMC 15.
Provenance: Sammlung Kommerzienrat H. Otto, Stuttgart (Heinrich Otto, Jr. [1856-1931]); Hess 207 (Lucerne, 1 Dec 1931), Lot 493, ill. on Plate 12 (on Uni Heidelberg); John A Sawhill (1892-1976) Collection; James Madison University Foundation (Sawhill Bequest); Stack’s Public Auction (New York, 1979 March 15), Lot 157 (part of/not ill.) (on Archive); BCD Collection; CNG MBS 81-2, “BCD Peloponnesos, Part II” (Lancaster, 20 May 2009), Lot 2327 (on ACSearch); Künker 341 (Osnabrück, 1 Oct 2020), Lot 5526 (on ACSearch) (Unsold & again at EA 65); Künker EA 69 (30 Nov 2021), Lot 31 (on ACSearch).
Gallery (imgur): Coin-in-hand video, Hess-Otto plate, BCD Pelo II photo.