Alexander III, King of Macedonia (336-323 BCE)

By popular demand (well, at least one request from Tif) here is my one and only lifetime Alexander drachm.

Alexander III ‘the Great’
Alexander III ‘the Great’ AR Drachm (18mm 4.24g) Sardes mint. Lifetime issue, circa 334/25-323 BC.
O: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin R: Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; torch in left field, monogram below throne. Price 2567.

Any other lifetime Alexanders out there?

 

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I wish I had one to show "sigh".

 

That is a beeeyouteeeful coin! Look at that lionskin-- so realistic!

I need one of these lifetime issues

 

Gorgeous coin and lifetime to boot. I have one drachm:

ALEXANDER III
AR Drachm
OBVERSE: Head of Herakles right in lionskin headdress
REVERSE: ALEXANDROU, Zeus Aetophoros seated left, holding eagle and sceptre. Forepart of Pegasos left in left field, X on W monogram beneath throne
Struck at Abydos 325-323 BC
4.2g, 17mm
Price 1505

 

Do you consider any of these lifetime? The old wives' tale is that parallel legs are lifetime and crossed are not but I understand that does not hold in every case according to Price (a book I do not have and one that may not be the latest word for all I know). ID's are my best guesses without the book. Your opinions or corrections will be appreciated.

4dr Salamis

drachm Lamsakos


obol Arados

barbarous 4dr

 

I don't usually look at these, but that's a stunning coin, Nemo. Agree with TIF... fantastic lion skin!

 

Thanks for the kind comments. Doug, unfortunately I'm no expert an the coinage of Alexander, I only occasionally dabble in Greeks.

 

Not a lifetime, but sharing is caring right! Edit, got too excited, did not see this is a drachm thread.

Price 2710 - Western Asia Minor mint 323-280 BC

 

Love the coin and the toning beef. Very nice.

 

Is the head really supposed to be Alexander?

 

No, it's Hercules, and the lion skin is from the slaying of the Nemean lion in the first labor from Greek mythology.

I believe the portrait on the Lysimuchus drachm is suppose to be Alexander.

 

Nemo and all, nice coins! I don't know if this is a life-time issue or not, but its my only one.

Doug H.

 

Since Hercules is a mythological figure, the head has to be modeled on someone. It looks like the head I see when I look at images of the Lysimuchus drachm.

 

My only lifetime issue is a Tetradrachm I am afraid.

Alexander III The Great, Macedonian Kingdom, Silver tetradrachm

Obv:- Head of (Alexander the Great as) Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress knotted at base of neck
Rev:- ALEXANDROU, Zeus seated left, holding eagle in right hand and scepter in left, monogram and M below throne;
Price 3599 (same dies), Müller 67, 17.206g, 25.9mm, 255o, Babylon mint, lifetime issue, c. 325 - 323 B.C.;
obverse off-center;

Dies by 'The Alexander Dekadrachm Master'. From the same highly-skilled hand as the famous dekadrachms, including Price 3598, with which this shares all symbols and their arrangement. A massive issue of coinage was struck for the mass-weddings of the soldiers of Alexander the Great to Persian women, and their subsequent return to Macedonia.

 

Just sold this one but, it was fun to own

 

Lifetime...Tetradrachm...I can scratch that one off the list.

 

I don’t get it. – You did pay 2567 and 1505 for that two Alexanders?

I can easily find some with the price between 75-175 Euro with the same grades.

What do I do wrong? – I must be mistaken.

 

Price is a reference book, not the cost of the coin. The number is just a reference number within that book. Trust me, I would not pay that kind of money for one of these coins.

 

Price refers to the standard reference guide for the coinage of Alexander written by Martin Price.

 

Price is the catalogue number for the Alex Types. The Author is Martin Price.