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Tetradrachm - Philip III Amphipolis
| Issuer | Kingdom of Macedonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 323 BC - 315 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Laureate head of Zeus facing right, rendered in fine high relief in the classical Macedonian tradition. The deity is depicted mature and bearded, with flowing locks of hair and a full curled beard of pronounced naturalistic character. A broad laurel wreath crowns the head, its leaves rendered in bold detail. The portrait fills the flan with commanding presence, the facial features — strong brow, aquiline nose, and parted lips — executed with exceptional artistry consistent with the Amphipolis mint style. |
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| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Philip III Arrhidaeus was Alexander the Great's half-brother — intellectually disabled, almost certainly epileptic, and wholly unsuited to rule. He was elevated to the Macedonian throne in 323 BC precisely because he was controllable, a figurehead for the generals tearing Alexander's empire apart in the Wars of the Diadochi. The Amphipolis mint had been the primary silver-striking facility for Macedon since Philip II, and it continued production under Arrhidaeus maintaining Alexandrine types rather than introducing any distinctly new royal imagery — a telling sign of where real authority resided.
Arrhidaeus was murdered in 317 BC on the orders of Olympias. The mint's output attributable to his reign ends shortly after.