Obol - Archelaus I Aegae

Archelaus I moved the Macedonian capital from Aigai to Pella and undertook a systematic modernization of the kingdom's military and road infrastructure — reforms that drew the admiration of Thucydides. His court attracted Euripides, who died there, and Socrates reportedly declined an invitation. The coinage issued under his reign reflects a kingdom actively asserting a Hellenic identity it had long been denied by southern Greek city-states skeptical of Macedonian cultural credentials.

At roughly half a gram, these obols circulated as genuine small change rather than prestige issues, making survivors in any meaningful condition scarce.