ID Help Please

I'm at work right now, so here's what I can tell without access to the references:

#1: Alexander the Great - you can read "...XAND..." in Greek letters to the right of the seated Zeus. Probably not a "lifetime issue" (ie issued after he died). How big/heavy is it? The artwork looks a bit crude for a tetradrachm, but it might be OK on a drachm.

#2: a denarius of Severus Alexander.

#3: Vespasian, "Judaea Capta" denarius.

#4: Another Vespasian, this time a Roman Provincial - Tyre, or perhaps Egypt. You can read "OYESPASIAN" in Greek letters to the right of the portrait.

OK, sorry I forgot before, but I've got my references now and can give a bit more detailed info:

#1: 4 grams, 15mm sounds right for a drachm. The Sear Greek catalogue lists it as number 6730, with the note that many subtypes and varieties of the Alexander drachm are known. CV £50 (1998 edition).

#2: Severus Alexander, denarius, reverse type PM TRP VI COS II PP (which translates to 227 AD), Equity standing with scales and cornucopia. Sear (millenium ed.) No. 7902, CV £18 in VF.

#3: As you can imagine, Judaea Capta denarii are two or three times pricier than most other Vespasian denarii types. There are two types listed in the millennium Sear: sitting under trophy (no. 2296) and sitting under palm tree (2297); yours looks more like a trophy to me. CV £200. Also be aware that due to their popularity, these are frequently copied.

#4: Sear's "Greek Imperial" book isn't as comprehensive as the other books, but my best guess for this one is Tyre - the eagle certainly looks Tyrian. The example on Wildwinds is in a pretty shoddy state:

CoinArchives has a similar specimen in better condition from around the same time, in the name of Titus Caesar.

Oh, and I forgot your question...

quote:

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Why would coins have been issued after Alexander the Great died and without a date on the coin how can you tell?

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Why would coins be issued in the name of a dead king, sometimes even a century or more after he had passed away?

Well, the times following Alexander's death were chaotic and tumultuous, with rival splinter kindgoms vying for control of the most lucrative parts of Alexander's empire. Coinage had to still be made, but in a time when a city could be punished for choosing the losing side in what amounted to a civil war, coins bearing Alexander's name were a nice safe bet no-one would object to.

Also, they were issued as a "remember the good old days" piece, effectively a commemorative coin in honour of the man that led the Greeks to greatness - and whom each of the kings and warlords claimed to be the rightful heir of.

Finally, a warlord or city that hadn't earned a reputation yet (or worse, had earned a reputation for issuing shoddy, debased coinage) could attempt to disguise their coinage my making it appear similar to the widely accepted and still commonly encountered coins of Alexander.

As to how to date or determine the mint-location for coins of such a series, the only thing that can be done is meticulous study of hoard evidence and such. People have written specialist books on how to determine date and mint of these coins (which I don't have). There is a general rule of thumb for tetradrachms that "crossed legs means it wasn't made during Alexander's lifetime", but on reading Sear it seems this rule may not apply to drachms. It may well be a lifetime issue after all.