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Tetradrachm In the name of Alexander III, Pella
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 315 BC - 310 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 17.08 g |
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| Reverse description | Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left upon a low stool-throne, his nude upper body turned slightly forward in a relaxed pose. His outstretched right hand supports an eagle with closed wings, while his left hand grasps a long sceptre. The Greek legend ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ runs along the right field. In the left field appear the control symbol epsilon (Ε) and a thyrsus, while below the throne a Boeotian shield serves as an additional control mark, all consistent with the Pella mint coinage of the post-Alexander period as catalogued under Price 256. |
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| Mint | Pella |
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| Additional information |
Struck at Pella, the Macedonian royal capital, during the turbulent regency period following Alexander's death in 323 BC. By 315, the mint was operating under Cassander, who controlled Macedonia while simultaneously fighting the Wars of the Diadochi against Antigonus, Lysimachus, and Ptolemy. Issuing coinage in Alexander's name rather than his own was a deliberate political move — Cassander lacked the prestige to strike under his personal authority while his grip on power remained contested.
Price 256 falls within a well-documented Pella sequence distinguishable by specific control marks. The type continued circulating across the eastern Mediterranean for decades after minting, as Alexander-type tetradrachms had effectively become the international trade currency of the Hellenistic world.