The Coins of Alexander the Great

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Copyright 2017 by Ron Rutkowsky, All Rights Reserved
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Alexander struck coins in three types of metal, gold, silver, and bronze. He used the Attic standard for his coin weight with one exception, coins struck for use in Macedon. The Tetradrachms were stuck a little lighter at about 14 grams. The normal weight being about 17.2 grams for Tetradrachms, 4.3 grams for Drachms, and about 8.6 grams for gold Staters.

AV Stater, Lifetime strike 8.61g, struck at Abydos in Asia Minor 328 – 323 BC. Price# 1497

Alexander the Great Coins

Image Courtesy of echizento on eBay

The coins that are encountered by collectors such as myself that can’t afford the gold staters are the AR Drachms and Tetradrachm, for the most part they are the same style coin except the the Drachm is smaller than the Tetradrachm. These coins were struck durning Alexanders lifetime and long after his death in 323 BC. It is faily easy to tell the difference between a lifetime and a posthumus strikes. On the lifetime strikes the legs of Zues on the reverse of the coin are spread apart, and on the posthumus strikes one leg is placed behind the other.

Lifetime strike, notice how the legs of Zeus are spread apart

Alexander the Great Coins

Image Courtesy of echizento on eBay

Posthumus strike, notice how one leg is placed behind the other

Alexander the Great Coins

Image Courtesy of echizento on eBay

By far the silver issues are more prevelant than the gold or bronze.

Bronze club and quiver type

Alexander the Great Coins

Image Courtesy of echizento on eBay

When Alexander died in 323 BC he left a vast empire that covered Greece, parts of North Africa, most of Asia Minor and parts of India. He had no heir, so there was no line of rule to continue. After some internal struggles it was decided to divide this vast empire amongst his generals.

After the defeat of the Persian in 331 BC, Egypt which was part of the Persian empire now belonged to Alexander. After Alexanders death this land was sort after because of it’s great riches and because it produced most of the grain in the ancient world.

So after the struggles were settled it was determined that Ptolemy would rule over Egypt. Thus starting the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

Copyright 2017 by Ron Rutkowsky, All Rights Reserved
Previous: Alexander III (The Great) AΛEΞANΔAPOY AΛEΞANΔAPOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ
Next: Ptolemaic Dynasty, ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ