Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 2516973, member: 56859&quot;]Yay for our 8000th Ancients thread!&nbsp; Alexander the Great is certainly a fitting theme for the thread <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s a great type of coin to collect-- so many issuers, so many issuers, so many interesting control marks, so many styles.</p><p><br /></p><p>Recently someone mentioned a book by Peter Thoneman, <i>The Hellenistic World:&nbsp; Using Coins as Sources</i>.&nbsp; There is an inexpensive Kindle version which I downloaded soon after that thread.&nbsp; While I&#039;m only a few chapters in, it&#039;s very interesting and quite readable.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Part I has a lot to say about coins Macodonia, particularly Alexander III and his successors.&nbsp; The material was mostly things I&#039;d gleaned here and there but Thoneman put it together in a way that really allowed me to see the bigger picture.&nbsp; I look forward to reading the rest of the book.</p><p><br /></p><p>One particularly interesting passage discusses the identity of the reverse figure on Alexander III&#039;s iconic tetradrachms (and other denominations).&nbsp; We cite the figure as Zeus-- but was it really meant to be Zeus?&nbsp; Thoneman lays out an argument for the figure being Ba&#039;al, or that the reverse deity was specifically chosen and posed to pass for Ba&#039;al if seen by someone from an Eastern culture or by Zeus for Westerners.&nbsp;&nbsp; You can read the book to get the full theory <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/atgtet-cc-jpg.511820/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b><a href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!kings-of-macedon-alexander-iii/c1a0j" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!kings-of-macedon-alexander-iii/c1a0j" rel="nofollow">KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III</a></b></p><p>AR tetradrachm, 17.14 gm</p><p>late lifetime issue, struck in Aradus c. 324/3 BCE</p><p>Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.</p><p>Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; I in left field; AP monogram below throne</p><p>Ref: Price 3325</p><p><i><i>ex Colosseo Collection (images by Colosseo Collection)</i></i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in