Ancients: MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Alexander III the Great (336-323 BC). AV stater (19mm, 8.61 gm, 9h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 4/5....

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Powerful, Yet Delicate

MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Alexander III the Great (336-323 BC). AV stater (19mm, 8.61 gm, 9h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 4/5. Lifetime-early posthumous issue of Amphipolis, ca. 330-320 BC. Head of Athena right, hair in four tight corkscrew curls, another curl at temple, and two more over left shoulder, wearing beaded necklace and triple-crested Corinthian helmet pushed back on head, long divergent crest ends, bowl decorated with coiled serpent right / AΛEΞANΔPOY, Nike standing facing, head left, wreath in outstretched right hand, stylis cradled in left arm; vertical thunderbolt in outer left field. Price 164. Bold and satiny, the delicate details on the portrait are exquisite, while Nike stands gracefully on the reverse.

From the Wetmore Collection of Gold and Electrum. Ex Freeman & Sear, private sale (26 May 2007), lot G8476.

Undeniably one of the most influential figures in history, Alexander the Great redefined the geopolitical landscape with his expansive conquests and military prowess. His monumental impact, however, extended beyond the battlefield and into the domain of economics, particularly coinage. Under Alexander's directive, an extensive series of gold staters and tetradrachms, in multiples and fractions, circulated across his empire. Struck by nearly one hundred mints located from Macedonia to Babylonia and beyond, they were instrumental in standardizing currency across his territories, and were of remarkably consistent weight and metal content, enhancing their acceptability and use. These coins, distinguished by their striking iconography and the superb level of detail, were not merely instruments of trade, but also potent symbols of Alexander's far-reaching authority and power.

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