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Tetradrachm In the name of Lysimachus
| Issuer | Byzantion (Thrace) |
|---|---|
| Year | 175 BC - 150 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 16.83 g |
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| Obverse description | Diademed head of the deified Alexander III facing right, rendered in the Hellenistic portrait tradition with characteristically flowing, tousled hair secured by a royal diadem. A small but distinct horn of Ammon curls from above the right ear, signifying Alexander's divine association with Zeus-Ammon. The portrait is rendered with fine sculptural quality, displaying a strong profile with slightly parted lips and an upward gaze. The flan is broad and well-struck, with the portrait centered within a plain border, filling the obverse field effectively. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Athena Nikephoros seated left upon a throne adorned with ornamental decoration, her left arm resting upon a large round shield set beside her, while a long transverse spear leans diagonally in the background field. A small Nike figure is held in her outstretched right hand. The legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ runs along the upper and right fields, reading 'of King Lysimachus.' The civic monogram of Byzantion appears to the inner left, with the letters ΒΥ inscribed on the throne, and a distinctive ornamented trident occupies the exergue as the mint symbol of Byzantion. |
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| Additional information |
Byzantion continued striking tetradrachms in the name of Lysimachus well over a century after his death at Corupedium in 281 BC — a commercial convention, not a political one. The city's position controlling the Bosporus made its coinage a trusted medium for Black Sea trade, and the Lysimachean type carried enough regional recognition to function almost as a currency brand. By the mid-second century, several Thracian and Pontic cities were doing the same, producing what numismatists categorize as posthumous issues to distinguish them from the original Macedonian royal output.
The Marinescu and Müller references place this piece firmly within the civic series rather than any royal workshop.