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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Valentinian, post: 3038533, member: 44316&quot;]In the mail today I got a triobol (= hemidrachm, because there are six obols in a drachm) of Alexander the Great. It is small. But, it is hard to tell a coin&#039;s size from a photo. You either need to already know how big it is or have something for comparison. I rescaled the seller&#039;s photograph of the triobol below so it is on the same scale as this Alexander tetradrachm for comparison.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]758069[/ATTACH]</p><p>This is a <b>tetradrachm</b> of Macedonian mint, struck 325-324 BC. It is 26-25 mm and 16.92 grams.</p><p>&nbsp; Now for the hemidrachm, which should be about one-eighth the weight:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]758071[/ATTACH]</p><p>14-13 mm. 1.97 grams. <b>Triobol</b>. Hemidrachm.</p><p>Head of Heracles right in lion-skin headdress</p><p>Zeus seated left holding out eagle and holding long vertical septer</p><p>AΛEΞANPΔOY&nbsp; own right, BAΣIΛEΩΣ across bottom</p><p>Σ in left field. Monogram below seat.</p><p>Price 3318, Aradus mint.</p><p>Price dates this series of &quot;c. 328 BC - c. 320 BC&quot; which would bracket Alexander&#039;s death in 323. However, most (all?) issues that have &quot;BAΣIΛEΩΣ&quot; on them are posthumous, even those with parallel legs like this one.</p><p><br /></p><p>Pictures cannot do size justice. In hand, it is a small--remarkably small--and cute piece.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is the same seller&#039;s photo, much larger scale, with slightly more accurate color:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]758072[/ATTACH]</p><p>The field marks are very small (I need a magnifying glass to make out the one below the seat) and the engraving is remarkably well done. He is long gone, but I would congratulate whoever engraved the dies almost 2300 years ago.</p><p><br /></p><p>Alexander the Great!&nbsp; Wow! </p><p><br /></p><p>Show us something![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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