An Alexander the Great silver decadrachm is to lead a sale of world and ancient coins at Heritage Auctions in New York on January 3-4.
It's valued at $200,000-300,000.
 The Alexander the Great decadrachm was issued in the 3rd century BC |
The coin was issued in Ecbatana or Babylon in 325-323 BC. The front displays the head of Heracles, while the reverse shows Zeus mounted on a throne.
Only a handful of the silver coins were ever minted. They were mainly produced for high-ranking military officers.
Heritage comments: "Their extreme rarity today - fewer than 20 are known to exist - makes it highly likely that these pieces were handed out by Alexander himself at a special ceremony, perhaps the one recorded at Susa in 324 BC where the great conqueror assembled his army and distributed up to 20,000 talents to his Macedonian veterans.
"The bidder on this piece thus has an opportunity to acquire a coin that, with a high degree of likelihood, could have passed through the hands of Alexander the Great."
A set of four gold British Indian 1862 coins will feature with a valuation of $80,000-120,000.
The collection is the only known set of gold strikes of the 1862 issue and was likely minted as a gift for a government official or for display at trade fairs.
It was formerly in the collection of King Farouk of Egypt (1920-1965).
You can check out our range of coins for sale here.
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