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Tetradrachm In the name of Alexander III
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 317 BC - 311 BC |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Heroic portrait of Alexander the Great in right-facing profile, rendered in bold high relief characteristic of early Ptolemaic coinage. The effigy is distinguished by the elephant scalp headdress, a motif referencing Alexander's Indian conquests, worn over the head with the trunk visible above the brow. A prominent horn of Ammon curves forward from the temple, alluding to Alexander's divine association with the Egyptian god and his recognition as son of Zeus-Ammon at Siwa. The portrait exhibits strong Hellenistic sculptural influence, with finely engraved facial features and a naturalistic treatment of the neck and shoulder. No legend appears on the obverse. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Struck in Alexandria under Ptolemy I while he still governed Egypt as satrap rather than king, this issue belongs to the transitional phase when Ptolemy used Alexander's name and types to assert legitimacy within the fractured Diadochi world. The political calculus was deliberate: invoking Alexander's authority cost nothing and bought considerable goodwill from Macedonian soldiers and administrators who remained skeptical of upstart successors.
The Lorber reference places this among the earliest Alexandrian output attributable to Ptolemaic administration — a series that would eventually give way to distinctly Ptolemaic types once the kingdom's identity hardened after 305 BC.