Alexander III, 336-323 BC, Lifetime issue Tetradrachm

Alexander III “the Great”, tetradrachm, AR, lifetime issue, 336–323 BC, Tarsos mint, 17.22 g, 26 mm. Obverse with the head of Herakles right, wearing the Nemean lion skin. Reverse with Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on a throne, holding eagle and sceptre; Greek legend AΛEΞANΔPOY. Struck on a broad flan with well-centered types and clear legend; minor striking weakness possible in the high points consistent with the issue. Price 3019.

Alexander’s lifetime tetradrachms formed a principal silver denomination of the Macedonian empire and its eastern mints, facilitating military payments, taxation, and long-distance commerce from the Aegean to the Near East. The Tarsos mint in Cilicia was a major regional production center within Alexander’s administrative network, and coins of this type are closely associated with the standardized iconography and weight system that helped integrate newly conquered territories under Macedonian rule.