Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)

297–281 BCE
Diameter: 3 cm (1 3/16 in.)
Weight: 16.98 g (0.60 oz)
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Location: not on view

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Did You Know?

Although Alexander the Great appears on this coin, the inscription on the reverse identifies its issuer as Lysimachos.

Description

A contemporary of Alexander the Great and one of his generals, Lysimachos used coins like this one to emphasize his connections to the fallen leader. The images of the goddesses Athena and Nike, or Victory, on the reverse, together with an inscription naming King Lysimachos, further legitimize his reign, first in Thrace and then in parts of Macedonia and Asia Minor.
Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)

Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)

297–281 BCE

Greek, Macedonian, minted at Lysimachia (Thrake), reign of Lysimachos

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