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Drachm - Philip III Arrhidaios Sardes
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 323 BC - 319 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Youthful head of Herakles facing right, clad in the scalp of the Nemean lion, the creature's muzzle resting upon the hero's crown and its paws knotted at the throat. The facial features are rendered in fine Hellenistic style, with strong brow, well-defined cheekbone, and slightly parted lips. A beaded border frames the design along the coin's periphery. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Philip III Arrhidaios was Alexander's half-brother — intellectually disabled, likely kept deliberately marginalized during Alexander's lifetime, and elevated to the throne in 323 BC largely because the Macedonian infantry needed a king they could name while the generals negotiated. He never ruled in any meaningful sense. Antipater, then Polyperchias, then Olympias controlled him in sequence. Olympias had him executed in 317 BC.
The Sardes mint continued Alexander-type coinage under his name with minimal interruption, which is why Price assigns these a distinct prefix rather than folding them into the main Alexander sequence.