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<p>[QUOTE="Terence Cheesman, post: 7507396, member: 86498"]Once again I delve into the murky world of the coinage of the Macedonian Kingdom. While trying to get some semblance of order I came across this coin.</p><p>Mazakes As satrap of Mesopotamia 331- to 320 BC? In the style of the coinage of Athens. Obv helmeted head of Athena right with profile eye. Rv. Owl standing right head facing to right Aramaic legend MZDK and theta. Van Alfen Group IVb 16.98 grms 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1297238[/ATTACH]</p><p>Mazakes as well as his colleague Mazaios both of whom were former Persian satraps. After they surrendered to Alexander they received important satrapies from him. Mazakes received Mesopotamia and Mazaios received Babylonia. What is interesting is that neither appears to mint coins in the name or with the types of Alexander III. Mazakes mints pseudo Athenian Owls more or less as he did in Egypt and Mazaios mints "Lion" Tetradrachms which are stylistically similar to the double sigloi he minted in Cilicia.</p><p> The issue of these coins create for us a significant conundrum, that is when did Alexander initiate the coinage bearing his name at the mint of Babylon. It would seem likely that the earliest date would be somewhere around 325 BC when he was returning from India and needed money to pay off his army as well as recruit a new army so that he could continue with his world tour.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Terence Cheesman, post: 7507396, member: 86498"]Once again I delve into the murky world of the coinage of the Macedonian Kingdom. While trying to get some semblance of order I came across this coin. Mazakes As satrap of Mesopotamia 331- to 320 BC? In the style of the coinage of Athens. Obv helmeted head of Athena right with profile eye. Rv. Owl standing right head facing to right Aramaic legend MZDK and theta. Van Alfen Group IVb 16.98 grms 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen [ATTACH=full]1297238[/ATTACH] Mazakes as well as his colleague Mazaios both of whom were former Persian satraps. After they surrendered to Alexander they received important satrapies from him. Mazakes received Mesopotamia and Mazaios received Babylonia. What is interesting is that neither appears to mint coins in the name or with the types of Alexander III. Mazakes mints pseudo Athenian Owls more or less as he did in Egypt and Mazaios mints "Lion" Tetradrachms which are stylistically similar to the double sigloi he minted in Cilicia. The issue of these coins create for us a significant conundrum, that is when did Alexander initiate the coinage bearing his name at the mint of Babylon. It would seem likely that the earliest date would be somewhere around 325 BC when he was returning from India and needed money to pay off his army as well as recruit a new army so that he could continue with his world tour.[/QUOTE]
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