Ancient Greek Tetradrachm coin
Object No. 2003/2/1
On Alexander the Great's deathbed at Babylon in 323 BC, he was asked who should inherit his huge empire which stretched from Greece to India. 'To the strongest' was the reputed and wholly Alexandrian reply. After decades of struggle and negotiation, power in Asia and Egypt was divided between the three generals who proved to be strongest: Ptolemy, Seleucis and Attalus. Such a huge empire required many mints to process the massive wealth of the two-hundred year old Persian Empire into a more easily transferable commodity - coinage. The silver used to make this coin was once bullion sacked from the vast treasuries of Babylon after it fell in 334 BC to Alexander (reigned 336-323 BC). It is a visual symbol of ancient political authority and its design was carefully considered by its issuers. It was a continuation of Alexander's own style of coins, though struck in the name of his half-brother (Philip III 323-317 BC), after Alexander's death. However, it was to be two decades before Alexander's generals, who were his true successors, had the confidence to mint coins in their own names - and thus as kings in their own right. This is a manifestation of coinage's role in legitimising power, with the cosequence that Alexander's successors' hesitated to proclaim their kingly status on their coins until they were politically secure,
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Summary
Object Statement
Coin, Tetradrachm, Philip III (323-317 BCE), silver, minted at Babylon Mint (Iraq), in the style of Alexander III (336-323 BCE), Ancient Greece, 323-317 BCE
Physical Description
Coin, tetradrachm, Kingdom of Alexander III (336-323BC), issued posthumously, in name of Philip III, silver (17.072 grams) from the Persian Treasuries, Babylon Mint (modern Iraq), 323-317 BC Tetradrachm, silver (17.072 grams ) struck in relief on both sides, Obverse: Head of Herakles facing right wearing lion skin and within dotted border around perimeter. Reverse: Zeus seated on throne facing left with eagle in outstretched hand, to left M, and below throne AY monogram, in exergue BASILE[OS] (king) and vertically to right of throne PHILIPOU (Philip).
DIMENSIONS
Height
3 mm
Diameter
26 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The Alexandrian tetradrachm became the widest-used currency of the ancient world. This was the result of the vast wealth taken from the defeated Persian Empire, and the twenty mints established all over the Hellenistic Empire to produce the coins. Babylon, c323-317 BC. No single general of Alexander could rule alone. To bide their time, the generals placed Philip III (Arrhidaeus) jointly on the throne with Alexander's infant son, Alexander IV but tragic events common to issues of succession in the Macedonian royal household quickly ensued. Philip III was murdered in 317 BC by Olympias (Alexander the Great's mother). This left Alexander IV (Olympias' grandson) as a child king, until 311 BC when Kassander (319-297 - son of Antipater the regent of Macedon appointed by Alexander the Great) had him murdered together with his mother Roxana. Issued by Phillip III (Arrhidaeus) in the style of Alexander III (the great)
SOURCE
Credit Line
Purchased 2003
Acquisition Date
7 January 2003
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