Thracian Alexander III imitative fourree stater, 9.1g, Thrace, c. 4th to 3rd century BC, copy of possible lifetime stater from Amphipolis, Macedonia, c. 330-320 BC, M.J. Price 172. The ancientness of this piece is questionable. Evidence of gold foil around a base metal interior can be seen on the obverse near the rim at 8 o'clock. The foil is slightly loose there. This piece is a bit larger and thicker than official issues. Judging by its weight, it could have a lead interior. The styling is slightly barbarous, or crude, compared with official issues, indicating an imitative issue. But I haven't been able to find any Alexander III imitative staters in the literature with similar styling, whether good metal or plated. And the way the gold foil is unwrapping seems incongrous compared with other Alexander stater fourrees I've seen, though I understand that different techniques were used in ancient times. This piece passed through a very reputable auction house, but others have questioned it too. If you can shed any light on this piece, please let me know.
Kolchian Alexander III imitative gold stater, 4.2g (thin flan), Kolchis/Colchis, c. 200-150 BC, Mitchiner 1518, Dundua 9212, Kapanadze 1969 10-13, Kapanadze 1967 5, Lang Table 1 No's 5-6
Seleukeia ad Kalykadnon AE-24, Cilicia, Asia Minor, c. 2nd to 1st century BC, Sear 5592v., SNG Cop. 201, SNG Levante 683, SNG France 906. This and the next four ancient Greek bronze coins, from large to small, aren't typically thought of as imitations, though their design clearly copies that of Alexander's gold staters, with all featuring on the obverse a helmeted head of Athena facing right and on the reverse a standing Nike advancing left with her right arm outstretched holding at least a wreath. On this coin Nike is holding a wreath and palm. The reverse also features the legend "Of the people of Seleukeia by the Kalykadnon [River]" and monograms.
Apameia AE-20, Seleukis and Pieria, Syria, c. 130 BC, Sear 5868, SNG Fitz. 5950. Nike holding wreath and palm, "Of the holy and autonomous city of Apameia."
Side AE-16, Pamphylia, Asia Minor, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 5440. Nike holding wreath and palm, pomegranate underneath, "Of the Sideons."
Nabataean AE-15, Damascus, Syria, c. 110-96 BC, Meshorer 1, Nike holding wreath, no legend.
Rubi AE-11, Apulia, Italy, c. 300-225 BC, SNG Cop. 677, Nike holding wreath and palm, magistrate's name (PYBA).
Thracian Alexander III imitative tetradrachm, 16.9g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 210, Topalov 2001 43, copy of posthumous Alexander tetradrachm from Kallatis, Thrace, M.J. Price 917. Blundered legend.
Thracian Alexander III imitative tetradrachm, 15.7g, Thrace, c. 3rd century BC, possibly unlisted, copy of posthumous Alexander tetradrachm from Parion, M.J. Price 1460. The legend and the mintmarks, which appear to be intended as a bucranium in the left field and a K symbol below the throne, are rendered crudely. The only clear letters in the legend are epsilon-xi (E, three horizontal lines), indicating it's an Alexander imitative rather than a far more commonly seen Philip III imitative. But the xi is erroneously rendered as another epsilon. The letter after the xi should be an alpha (A), but it doesn't look anything like one. The obverse is doublestruck in a visually interesting way, with a second eye at Herakles' cheek and a second nose and mouth at his chin. The possibility does exist that the coin is official. Just as the obverse was (double)struck carelessly, the legend and mintmarks may have simply been engraved carelessly. But the blundered legend and the blundered mintmarks, along with the low weight, indicate it's likely an unofficial tribal issue. The devices are realistic, suggesting it's an early imitative, contemporaneous with official issues of this variety. Parion is near the the Hellespont, just across Propontis from Thrace, making its coinage easily accessible to the Thracian tribes as models. So if it is imitative, it's in all probability Thracian in origin, as many "Celtic type" Alexanders likely were as well.
Thracian Alexander III imitative fourree tetradrachm, 14.4g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC
Thracian Philip III imitative tetradrachm, 16.0g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 212v., CCCBM 185, SNG Fitz. 2270, Mitchiner 1528, Topalov 2001 50, Lukanc Pl. 7 No. 2, Castelin 153, Nash 60, Allen and Nash 67, Rauch 32, Göbl 579, Pink 581-583, copy of Philip III tetradrachm from Arados, Phoenicia, M.J. Price P151
Thracian Philip III imitative tetradrachm, 15.6g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 212v., CCCBM 194, SNG Fitz. 2276, Mitchiner 1528, Lukanc Pl. 7 No. 4, Castelin 153, Nash 60, Allen and Nash 67, Göbl 579, Pink 584
Thracian Philip III imitative tetradrachm, 15.4g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 212, CCCBM 198, SNG Fitz. 2269, Mitchiner 1529, Lukanc Pl. 7 No. 5, Castelin 153, Nash 60, Allen and Nash 67, Göbl 579, Pink 587
Arachosian Alexander III imitative tetradrachm, 16.3g, Arachosia, c. 3rd century BC, AJN 2002 459-465
Arabian Alexander III imitative tetradrachm, 16.0g, Abi'el type, Eastern Arabia, c. 1 BC (dating according to Michael Mitchiner), Potts Class XLVII (particularly No. 424, and No. 387 of the supplement), SNG Cop. Supp. 1236, Mitchiner 1415
Thracian Alexander III imitative drachm, 2.8g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 211v., CCCBM 215, Lukanc Pl. 4-5 No. 46-66, Allen 1978 14, Göbl 577, Pink 577-578
Thracian Philip III imitative drachm, 3.5g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 211v., CCCBM 204, SNG Cop. Supp. 199-200, Lukanc Pl. 7 No. 8, Göbl 591 1, Bauer 8
Thracian Philip III imitative drachm, 2.8g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 211v., CCCBM 207, SNG Cop. Supp. 201-202, Lukanc Pl. 7 No. 12, Allen 1978 13, Göbl 591 2-3
Thracian Philip III imitative drachm, 2.6g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Sear 211v., CCCBM 213, SNG Cop. Supp. 207-208, Lukanc Pl. 7 No. 11. Göbl 595
Thracian Alexander III imitative fourree drachm, 3.4g, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC
Celtic Alexander III imitative drachm, 3.8g, Galatia, Asia Minor, c. 100 BC (Galatian origin and dating according to Wolfgang Fischer-Bossert, who has examined a recent hoard and is working on a journal article on this series), Mitchiner 1530, Lukanc Pl. 2 No. 18, Allen and Nash 70, Göbl 574
Arabian Alexander III imitative drachm, 3.8g, Abi'el type, Eastern Arabia, c. 140-115 BC (dating according to Michael Mitchiner), Potts Class S4 (No. 286 this coin), Mitchiner 1366
Arabian Alexander III imitative obol, 0.78g, Abi'el type, Eastern Arabia, c. 1 BC (dating according to Michael Mitchiner), Potts Class XLVII, SNG Cop. Supp. 1230, Mitchiner 1430
Thracian Alexander III imitative bronze, AE-16, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Topalov 2001 46
Thracian Alexander III imitative bronze, AE-18, Thrace, c. 3rd to 2nd century BC, Topalov 2001 46
Other pages of mine on coins copying Athens, Alexander the Great, Lysimachos, Parion, Thasos, Constantine the Great, and other coins can be found at my site on Ancient Imitative Coinage.