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Tetradrachm - Demetrius I Poliorcetes Chalkis
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 290 BC - 287 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Poseidon Pelagaios standing left in a commanding contrapposto pose, his left foot raised and resting upon a rocky outcrop, his body slightly inclined forward as he steadies himself. He holds a long trident upright in his right hand, his nude athletic figure rendered in the classical Hellenistic style. The royal legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ is inscribed in the field, flanking the deity. A monogram or control mark K appears to the outer left of the figure, while a grape bunch appears to the outer right, serving as a mint control symbol associated with the Chalkis mint. |
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| Mint | Chalkis |
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| Additional information |
Demetrius I earned the epithet "Poliorcetes" — the Besieger — for his extraordinary siege warfare, most famously his years-long assault on Rhodes from 305–304 BC using unprecedented naval and mechanical technology. By the time this issue was struck at Chalkis, however, his fortunes had reversed sharply. He had seized the Macedonian throne in 294 BC by murdering Alexander V, but his increasingly extravagant court behavior and contempt for his subjects eroded loyalty fast. His own troops defected to Pyrrhus and Lysimachus in 288 BC, forcing him eastward. Chalkis, controlling the Euboean straits, was among his last viable strongholds.