Alexander the Great tetradrachms

When Philip II rose to power in 359 BCE, he recognized the importance of coinage. Philip’s coins became very popular throughout the ancient world. His son, Alexander the Great refocused the silver mintage on a tetradrachm based on the Athenian weight standard that could be used throughout Greece. For more than two hundred years, Alexander the Great tetradrachms would be minted at a prolific rate, sourced from mines in Thrace and Macedonia as well as the new bullion from the Persians.

Primary design elements remained consistent. The obverse depicts Herakles (Hercules to the Romans). Herakles was Zeus’ son and was able to attain divine status through 12 labors. The coin represents the first of those labors, the slaying of the Nemean Lion. The reverse shows Zeus wearing a crown.

A single coin represented about four day’s pay for a laborer, so Alexander also minted bronze coinage for smaller transactions.