Alexander III, 336-323 BC, Lifetime? Tetradrachm

Alexander III of Macedon, tetradrachm, AR, 336–323 BC; Arados (Phoenicia), struck c. 328–320 BC; 16.71 g; 26 mm. Obverse with beardless head of Herakles right, wearing the lion-skin headdress, forepaws tied at neck. Reverse with legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on a backless throne, right hand extended holding eagle, left hand holding long scepter; control marks of the Arados series present in the field and beneath the throne. Struck on the Attic standard at Arados during Alexander’s lifetime or immediately thereafter. Cited as Price 3309.

This Arados issue belongs to the large post-conquest Levantine output that funded Alexander’s operations and subsequent administration, integrating Phoenician mints into the Macedonian monetary system. The standardized Herakles/Zeus type conveyed royal authority across diverse regions, while the addition of the royal title and local control marks aids in attributing emissions within the late lifetime–early Diadochi period (c. 328–320 BC).