Coin · Hellenistic
Alexander tetradrachm
336–65 BCE, Ancient Greece
Alexander's silver was struck from 336 BCE at dozens of mints from Macedon to Babylon and continued in his name for over two centuries by successors and cities, becoming the international currency of the Hellenistic world. Lifetime issues, particularly from Amphipolis, Tarsos and Babylon, are separated from posthumous ones by style, legend arrangement and the position of Zeus's legs. Price's catalogue lists thousands of varieties; drachms of the same design are the common small coin.
| Object | Coin |
|---|---|
| Dates | 336–65 BCE |
| Period | Hellenistic |
| Cultures | Ancient Greece |
| Regions | Europe — Mediterranean, Near East & Mesopotamia, Egypt & Nile Valley |
Diagnostic traits
A silver tetradrachm of about 17.2 g showing the head of Herakles in the lion-skin on the obverse and Zeus enthroned holding an eagle on the reverse with the legend ALEXANDROU, plus mint symbols and monograms.
Identification
The seated Zeus and Herakles head are unmistakable, but the Attic tetradrachm shows Athena and an owl, and Lysimachus's coins show a deified Alexander head with Athena seated. Posthumous issues often have Zeus with legs crossed, a longer legend BASILEOS ALEXANDROU and a broader thinner flan; the late issues of Mesembria and Odessos are crude. Attribution rests on the control symbols and monograms in the reverse field.
Reproductions and fakes
Alexander tetradrachms are widely faked in cast and modern-struck form, including transfer-die copies of specific published coins; check weight, edge, surface flow lines and compare with Price. Genuine coins show light grey toning and honest wear on the lion-skin and Zeus's knee.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Alexander tetradrachm" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/alexander-tetradrachm. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-alexander-tetradrachm,
title = {Alexander tetradrachm},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/alexander-tetradrachm}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.