Nomos 22

MACEDON. Aineia. Circa 400-347 BC. Chalkous (Bronze, 12.5 mm, 2.02 g, 4 h). Young, beardless male head (Askanios?) to right, wearing Phrygian cap. Rev. ΑΙΝΕΙ - ΑΤ[ΩΝ] Forepart of a bull to right. Apparently unpublished, but cf. AMNG III/2, p. 22, 8 = pl. VI 3 and 4 (reverse) and Traité II, 4, 927 = pl. CCCXII, 12 for the higher denomination of this type (with a complete butting bull rather than a forepart as here). Extremely rare, if not unique. Clear, well-centered and with a dark patina. Very fine.

The coinage of Aineia (Aeneia) in Macedon is known from very rare silver tetradrachms, a number of silver fractions, and a number of bronzes. The tetradrachm bears the head of a nymph on its obverse (as Triton VIII, 2005, 104) combined with a standing bull on the reverse. The silver fractions; mostly tetrobols dating from either the 480s or the 420s BC, have either a bearded male head wearing a Corinthian helmet on their obverses, combined with an incuse reverse; or a younger male head, with a slight beard and long sideburns, wearing an Attic helmet (oddly enough termed Athena by some commentators who have managed not to notice the clearly engraved slight beard - a perfect example is CNG MBS 61, 2002, 390). This type is combined with a bull looking back on the reverse. Both of these heads are surely those of Aineias (better known by his Latin name, Aeneas); the apparent difference in age, as one would think from the different beard lengths, is surely due solely to artistic convention: the earlier show a more Archaic manliness, while the later type, which Gaebler dated to after c. 424 (a date of c. 475-450 used by some is inexplicable), reflects the true Classical ideal of an elegant young man.
So whose head is on this bronze? Babelon, Head and Gaebler saw him as Aineias, dismissing Imhoof-Blumer's suggestion that it was Aineias' son Askanios (Ascanius). But why is he wearing a Phrygian bonnet rather than a helmet? This makes no sense, whatsoever, especially since the bull reverse is so closely connected to the silver tetrobols with the helmeted male head and a bull reverse. The differing head gear must indicate different people: thus, the two coin types show us ideal portraits of the noble, helmeted father and his young son, wearing a bonnet or cap indicative of his origins in Troy.