Object Description
A very fine Alexander the Great silver tetradrachm, minted posthumously in Babylon. The obverse features the profile bust of Herakles: his youthful features are delicately rendered; the deep-set eye, prominent nose and slightly furrowed brow still retain in excellent definition. He wears the Nemean lion-skin headdress, one of Herakles’ typical attributes, which imbues the Greek ruler with divine qualities. The reverse of the coin depicts the Greek god Zeus, seated to the left on a throne, holding an eagle in his right hand and sceptre in his left. A M monogram features below the throne and an MHP monogram in a wreath is displayed in the left field. The Greek inscription ΑΛΕΞΑΝ∆ΡΟΥ is written vertically to the right of the figure of Zeus. The legend, written in the genitive case, translates as, ALEXANDROY, meaning ‘[the coinage] of Alexander’.
Date: Circa 317-311 BC