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Oktadrachm - Alexander I
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 498 BC - 454 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Octadrachm (8) |
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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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A quadripartite incuse square dominating the reverse field, divided by raised ridges into four equal recessed compartments arranged in a symmetric grid pattern. The incuse is deeply struck, with each quadrant presenting a slightly granular, hammered surface. This mill-sail or windmill incuse design is characteristic of early Macedonian octadrachms struck under Alexander I and served as the standard reverse type throughout his reign. The bold geometric simplicity of the incuse contrasts with the elaborate figurative obverse, following the archaic Greek coinage convention of the period. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Alexander I inherited a kingdom under Persian occupation and spent the early decades of his reign as a client ruler under Darius I and later Xerxes, supplying timber and silver from Macedonian mines to the Achaemenid war machine. The octadrachm series he issued drew directly on that mineral wealth — the Bisaltian and Dynastic mines gave him access to silver reserves substantial enough to strike heavy denominations that circulated well beyond Macedonian borders.
His later propagandist repositioning as a Greek sympathizer — earning the epithet "Philhellene" and gaining admission to the Olympic Games — came after Persia's retreat, not before. The coins predate that rebranding entirely.