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Drachm In the name of Alexander III, Abydos
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 310 BC - 301 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 4.15 g |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned to the left on a throne ornamented with a dotted border, his torso nude and lower body draped, holding in his extended right hand an eagle perched with wings closed, and a long sceptre in his left hand. Beneath the throne, a helmet symbol appears in the exergue. The Greek legend ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ runs vertically along the right field. The composition follows the canonical reverse type established for Alexander III coinage, executed with vigorous relief typical of the Abydos mint. |
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| Mint | Abydos |
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| Additional information |
Abydos, positioned at the narrowest crossing of the Hellespont, was among the cities that continued striking Alexander-type coinage well after his death in 323 BC, during the fractious wars of the Diadochi. Price 1554 places this issue within the early Successor period, when control of the Hellespont crossing was strategically critical — Lysimachus held the region through much of this window, and civic or semi-autonomous minting under his authority kept the Alexander types circulating. The choice to maintain the conqueror's name on coinage was political convenience as much as anything else.