Tetrobol or Third of Stater circa 334-322, AV 14 mm, 2.61 g. Head of Hera r., wearing stephanos ornamented with palmettes, and single-pendant earring. Rev. METAΠON Barley ear of six grains; on r. field, bird standing on leaf. Johnston G1. SNG ANS 395. SNG Lockett 406. Dewing 377 (these dies). Gillet 203 (these dies). Historia Numorum Italy 1578. Rare. A portrait of superb style perfectly centred on a full flan. Good very fine Ex Leu 81, 2001, 19; Triton XIX, 2016, 2009; Triton XXII, 2019, 44 and Triton XXIII, 2020, 41 sales. From the Dr. Lawrence A. Adams, Gasvoda, and Jonathan P. Rosen collections. After its foundation by Greek colonists from Achaea in 720 BC, Metapontum profited greatly from the fertile lands that surrounded it, and so grew into one of the wealthiest Greek cities of southern Italy. However, in the fifth century BC, the city began to fall into decline. It managed to weather the ill-advised support for the doomed Athenian expedition against Syracuse in 414-413 BC, and later attacks by Dionysius I of Syracuse, but the city was no longer what it once was. In the fourth century BC, Metapontum and neighbouring cities of Magna Graecia were increasingly threatened by the Italic Lucanians. Indeed, their menace was so keenly felt that in 344 BC the city entered into alliance with its long-time rival, Tarentum, and the Molossian king, Alexander I, in the hope of breaking Lucanian power. Unfortunately, despite several victories, Alexander was betrayed and killed at the Battle of Pandosia (331 BC), thus leaving Metapontum and Magna Graecia at large without a defender. The exceptional appearance of Hera on a coin of Metapontum and the similarity of her head on this issue to the coins of Tarentum during the time of Alexander indicate that this coinage was struck when the city was allied with the Molossian. Please find here the video of the coin