Alexander III, 336-323 BC, Posthumous Issue Tetradrachm

Alexander III “the Great”, tetradrachm, AR, posthumous issue struck under the Alexandrine coinage, 336–323 BC (struck after 323 BC), uncertain mint, possibly Mytilene, 16.11 g, 27 mm. Obverse with the head of Herakles right, wearing the lion-skin headdress; facial features and legend area affected by heavy wear and surface damage, but the type remains identifiable. Reverse with Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on a throne, holding eagle and sceptre; AΛEΞANΔPoY legend present, partially legible due to corrosion and loss of metal; subsidiary control marks not securely readable, preventing firm mint attribution. Struck from worn/damaged dies with extensive circulation wear, edge and field losses, and areas of roughness; overall attribution based on the surviving principal types and partial legend. Reference: Price 1699 (closest match; exact variety uncertain due to condition).

This tetradrachm belongs to the dominant silver trade coinage of the Hellenistic Mediterranean, issued in Alexander’s name and continued posthumously by successor authorities to facilitate military payments and long-distance commerce. The enduring “Herakles/Zeus” types functioned as a widely recognized monetary standard, and their continued production after Alexander’s death reflects both the political value of his name and the practical need for a stable, accepted silver currency across the fragmented Successor kingdoms.