Gold, 8.56 grams, 17.42 mm. Amphipolis mint, Circa 330 - 320 B.C. Obverse: Head of Athena right, in crested Corinthian helmet ornamented with serpent. Reverse: Nike standing left, holding wreath and ship's mast, kantharos in field to left, not listed in Greek Coins and Their Values, Greek legend in field to right. GCV 6702 variant; GCN 1265P164. Good Very Fine. Ex. Axis Mundi, Santa Fe; Ex. Mr Willis collection.

Gold, 8.56 grams, 17.42 mm. Amphipolis mint, Circa 330 - 320 B.C. Obverse: Head of Athena right, in crested Corinthian helmet ornamented with serpent. Reverse: Nike standing left, holding wreath and ship's mast, kantharos in field to left, not listed in Greek Coins and Their Values, Greek legend in field to right. GCV 6702 variant; GCN 1265P164. Good Very Fine. Ex. Axis Mundi, Santa Fe; Ex. Mr Willis collection.

Axis Mundi stated: "Extremely Desirable Genuine 2300+ Year Old Greek Gold Stater of Alexander the Great / Featuring a Beautiful Portrait of Athena, Greek Goddess of War, Wisdom and the Arts / Also Featuring a Mythological Scene of Nike, the Goddess of Victory / Attractive Coin with a Gorgeous Luster / Important Example Minted in Alexander's Homeland of Macedonia in the City of Amphipolis 330-320 BC."

Born in Pella, capitol of Macedon in northern Ancient Greece, Alexander was the son of King Philip II of Macedon and of his fourth wife Olympias, an Epirote princess. On his mother's side, he was a second cousin of Pyrrhus of Epirus; thus, there are notable examples of military genius on both sides of his family. According to Plutarch, his father descended from Heracles through Caranus and his mother descended from Aeacus through Neoptolemus and Achilles. Plutarch relates that both Philip and Olympias dreamt of their son's future birth. In Philip's dream, he sealed her womb with the seal of the lion. Alarmed by this, he consulted the seer Aristander of Telmessus, who determined that his wife was pregnant and that the child would have the character of a lion. Another odd coincidence is that the temple of Artemis in Ephesus was set afire on the night of his birth. Plutarch's explanation is that the Gods were too busy watching over Alexander to care for the temple.

After his visit to the Oracle of Ammon at Siwa, according to five historians of antiquity (Arrian, Curtius, Diodorus, Justin, and Plutarch), rumors spread that the Oracle had revealed Alexander's father to be Zeus, rather than Philip. In support of this, Plutarch claims that Philip avoided Olympias' bed because of her affinity for sleeping in the company of snakes.

In his early years, Alexander was raised by his nurse Lanike, who was Cleitus' older sister. Following this, Alexander was educated by a strict teacher: Leonidas, a relative of his mother Olympias. Leonidas thought Alexander narcissistic and silly, and was equally disliked by Alexander. Reportedly, when Alexander threw a large amount of sacrificial incense into a fire, Leonidas harshly reprimanded him, telling him that when he had conquered the spice bearing regions, he could waste as much as he wanted. Years later, when Alexander had conquered Gaza, a city directly on the Persian spice trade route, he sent back over 15 tons of myrrh to Leonidas as a sort of ultimate comeback. Aristotle, however, was Alexander's most famous and important tutor since he gave Alexander a thorough training in rhetoric and literature and stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy. Aristotle gave him a copy of the Iliad which he always kept with him and read frequently.

When Alexander was ten years old, a Thessalian brought a black horse to sell to Philip. The horse turned out to be wild and no man could mount him. The young Alexander went to the horse, and turned him towards the sun, for he had noticed that the horse was just afraid of his own shadow. He was then able to mount and ride it. His father and other people who saw this were very impressed, and when the young Alexander returned and dismounted the horse Philip kissed him with tears of joy and said "My son, seek thee out a kingdom equal to thyself; Macedonia has not room for thee." This line probably had as much paranoid fear in it as pride. Philip II knew perfectly well what happened to Macedonian kings with ambitious sons. The horse was named Bucephalus (which means ox-head). Bucephalus would be his companion and one of his best friends for the next two decades until the horse died (according to Plutarch due to old age, for he was already 30; other sources claim that Bucephalus died of wounds sustained in a battle in India). Alexander then named a city after him called Bucephalia or Bucephala.

Silver, 2.14 grams; 17.78 mm. 4th/5th Century A.D. In the form of two opposing dolphins with stamped dot bodies and ring and dot eyes. Similar examples in Roman Buckles and Military Fittings by Andrew Appels and Stuart Laycock, pages 184 - 187, No examples in silver. Very Fine condition.

Silver, 2.14 grams; 17.78 mm. 4th/5th Century A.D. In the form of two opposing dolphins with stamped dot bodies and ring and dot eyes. Similar examples in Roman Buckles and Military Fittings by Andrew Appels and Stuart Laycock, pages 184 - 187, No examples in silver. Very Fine condition.

Gold, 3.08 grams; 23.56 mm; Internal 17.44 mm, [UK size O; US size 7 1/4; European size 14.98]. Early 16th Century A.D. A truly beautiful gold finger ring from the start of the renaissance period which was an amazing movement of artistic form beginning in circa 1520 A.D when ring were made show off the skills of the master goldsmith and forming a transition between the plainer medieval gemstone rings. It has an oblong box-shaped bezel set with a deep purple table cut amethyst. The underside of the bezel chased with white enamel with a voided cross surrounded by floral ‘swirls’, and the wearable sized circular hoop carved on the outside with an intricate pattern of vines and oak leaves. Ref: An almost identical example set with an emerald published the Victoria and Albert Catalogue of Rings 1930, Page 70, No. 288, illustrated on plate XIII, fig. 288; Ashmolean Museum, Fortnum 116 (published in Oman, 1974, Ii); London, British Museum (published in Oman 1974, 26D); gold ring with rock crystals (ex Harari Collection, ex Guilhou Collection, published in Boardman, 1977, no. 171); . Lustrous, Extremely Fine and Rare. From an old private collection, Found Germany.

Gold, 3.08 grams; 23.56 mm; Internal 17.44 mm, [UK size O; US size 7 1/4; European size 14.98]. Early 16th Century A.D. A truly beautiful gold finger ring from the start of the renaissance period which was an amazing movement of artistic form beginning in circa 1520 A.D when ring were made show off the skills of the master goldsmith and forming a transition between the plainer medieval gemstone rings. It has an oblong box-shaped bezel set with a deep purple table cut amethyst. The underside of the bezel chased with white enamel with a voided cross surrounded by floral ‘swirls’, and the wearable sized circular hoop carved on the outside with an intricate pattern of vines and oak leaves. Ref: An almost identical example set with an emerald published the Victoria and Albert Catalogue of Rings 1930, Page 70, No. 288, illustrated on plate XIII, fig. 288; Ashmolean Museum, Fortnum 116 (published in Oman, 1974, Ii); London, British Museum (published in Oman 1974, 26D); gold ring with rock crystals (ex Harari Collection, ex Guilhou Collection, published in Boardman, 1977, no. 171); . Lustrous, Extremely Fine and Rare. From an old private collection, Found Germany.

Amethyst in Medieval times: Amethyst was widely used in ecclesiastical jewellery of the period as it was considered a symbol of piety. It was worn as a protection against poisons; and was used to ward off drunkenness, hence its Greek name meaning "not drunken". It is said to help with low self-esteem, which is often the root cause of addictive and compulsive behavior. In medieval times it was said to bring about a feeling of calm and contentment. Crystal healers say that this stone is used also to treat headaches, eye disorders, balance low-blood sugar levels and mental disorders. "It is a stone of peace and will often cut through layers of illusion so you can see things as they truly are"