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Tetradrachm In the name of Alexander III, Babylon
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 315 BC - 311 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
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| Obverse description | Youthful right-facing head of Herakles in three-quarter relief, clad in the scalp of the Nemean lion, with the beast's muzzle resting upon the forehead and its paws knotted at the neck. The deeply modelled facial features display strong Hellenistic artistry, with well-defined brow, prominent nose, and parted lips. The lion skin headdress falls in naturalistic folds along the neck and behind the ear. No legend or inscription appears in the field. The flan is slightly irregular, consistent with hand-struck production at the Babylon mint. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Struck at Babylon in the tumultuous decade following Alexander's death in 323 BC, this issue falls within the Wars of the Diadochi — the savage partition conflicts among his generals. By 315 BC, Babylon was under the control of Seleucus, who had seized the satrapy after outmaneuvering Antigonus. Coins continued to be issued in Alexander's name as a matter of political legitimacy; no successor was yet willing to strike in his own name from so prominent a mint.
Price 3723 is attributable by its specific control marks, which allow placement within the Babylonian sequence developed by Martin Jessop Price in his 1991 corpus.