Price 179 is among the most frequently encountered die varieties in the Alexander gold stater series, struck at Amphipolis — the first and most prolific mint to produce the type after Alexander assumed the throne in 336 BC. Amphipolis had been taken from the Athenians by Philip II in 357 BC and developed into a primary Macedonian minting center precisely because of its proximity to the Pangaion gold and silver mines.
The sheer volume struck here reflects the logistical demands of funding the Persian campaign. Captured Achaemenid treasury bullion, particularly from Susa and Persepolis after 330 BC, was melted and restruck — meaning many of these staters are, in a material sense, recycled Persian wealth.
Price 179 is among the most frequently encountered die varieties in the Alexander gold stater series, struck at Amphipolis — the first and most prolific mint to produce the type after Alexander assumed the throne in 336 BC. Amphipolis had been taken from the Athenians by Philip II in 357 BC and developed into a primary Macedonian minting center precisely because of its proximity to the Pangaion gold and silver mines.
The sheer volume struck here reflects the logistical demands of funding the Persian campaign. Captured Achaemenid treasury bullion, particularly from Susa and Persepolis after 330 BC, was melted and restruck — meaning many of these staters are, in a material sense, recycled Persian wealth.