Dekadrachm - Alexander III Babylon

Features

Issuer Kingdom of Macedonia
King Alexander III the Great (336 BC - 323 BC)
Type Standard circulation coin
Years 325 BC - 323 BC
Value Decadrachm (10)
Currency Drachm
Composition Silver
Weight 40.34 g
Diameter 35 mm
Shape Round (irregular)
Technique Hammered
Orientation Variable alignment ↺
Demonetized Yes
Number
N#
197040
References Price# 3600
Martin Jessop Price; 1991. The Coinage in Name of Alexander the Great and Philip Arrhidaeus / Volume 1. Introduction and Catalogue : A British Museum Catalogue. British Museum - Swiss Numismatic Society, London, United Kingdom - Zürich, Switzerland.
And 1 more volumes.

Obverse

Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.

Reverse

Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned to left, holding sceptre; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to right, monogram above M below throne.

Script: Greek

Lettering:
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ
M

Translation: Alexander (III, the Great)

Mint

Babylon, Babylonia, Iraq

Comments

The coin in the main image (40.34g, 35mm, 4h, Good Very Fine):
◦ Auctioned by Roma Numismatics Ltd, Auction XVII, 28 March 2019, Lot 397. Sold for 16,000 GBP;

Fewer than twenty dekadrachms of Alexander are known to exist today. Eight pieces originate from the 1973 Babylon' Hoard (aka the Mesopotamia Hoard), and a smaller 1989 find that Martin Price believed to be a part of the original 1973 deposit.

Struck in three emissions from a mint generally considered to be at Babylon, but possibly Susa or Ekbatana, the dekadrachms formed part of a massive conversion of bullion seized from the Persian Royal treasuries at Susa and Persepolis - around 180,000 Attic talents (4,680 metric tonnes). A small amount of this silver was minted into dekadrachms, possibly for presentation purposes, as the size of these coins made them impractical for daily use.

See also

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Date VG F VF XF AU UNC
ND (325 BC - 323 BC) 

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