Perhaps no other ruler throughout the previous history has been as demanding on the design of coins as Alexander the Great. The money minted during his reign influenced the future production of coins on three continents, and some of the symbols depicted on them are used for banknotes today.
Mark on history
The minting of the coins of Alexander the Great was only one aspect of history related to the life of the great ruler. He is recognized as one of the greatest commanders and military strategists who have ever lived on the planet. Alexander was only 20 years old when he became king of Macedonia. Over the thirteen years of his reign, he changed the political and economic face of the world. At the time of death in 323 BC. e., he managed to completely subjugate the most powerful Persian power under Macedonian rule and expand the Greek Empire from the borders of India to the Adriatic, from Egypt to the Black Sea. Considering himself rather than a conqueror, but a distributor of Hellenic civilization, Alexander the Great founded new cities on the conquered lands of three continents, some of which remain the largest settlements even today. And throughout this vast territory, the coin, approved by the young ruler, has become the standard on which the currency of all subsequent centuries will be based.
Money of Alexander the Great
The value of antique coins was determined not by the people who made them, but from what metal they were made of. There were a lot of copper fakes covered with a silver layer, because the authenticity was often checked with scratches or punctures. The complex pattern of coins of Alexander the Great limited the activities and possibilities of counterfeiters. His money was minted from gold, silver, copper. They were intended mainly for the calculation and maintenance of the army, payment of taxes and taxes. Alexander’s money quickly spread throughout the empire, becoming the recognized currency of the Ancient World. The most popular were silver drams weighing 4.2 g and tetrachrams of 17.2 g each. The face value of the coins differed not only in weight, but also in sound, which allowed experienced merchants to easily determine their authenticity.
During the life of Alexander the Great, coins were minted at 26 mints. After the death of the ruler, the issue of banknotes according to his standard continued, and in general, over 250 years they were made by 91 mints. The last of these coins is made in Messembria (a city on the Black Sea coast, now - the territory of Bulgaria). It dates from 65 BC. e. Below will be considered four types of coinage, which are produced during the life of the great Macedonian.
Tetradrachm
In the first year of Alexander's reign, coins emanated from the Macedonian mint in Amphipolis, according to the model approved by the new king. These were silver tetradrachms weighing 17.13 g and a diameter of 25 mm. They became the most common money in the state, and the people simply called them “Alexandra”. Obverse decorated the profile of Hercules with the head of the Nemean lion killed by him instead of a helmet. On the reverse there was an image of Zeus seated on the throne, with its two attributes: an eagle and a scepter, as well as the name of the king.
The face of Heracles on later coins of the time of Alexander the Great acquired the features of the king himself. At the same time, the skin of a Nemean lion (an attribute of a deified hero) on the chased image covered Alexander's head. Thus, the great commander pointed out to the subjects of the vast kingdom his status, similar to that of Heracles, the God-given. This was one of the rather effective ways to spread the idea that, like the legendary hero, the Macedonian king was the son of Zeus.
These coins with the image of Alexander of Macedon became the first money in history to depict the face of the ruler of the state. After the death of the victorious king, his tetradrachms were made in Macedonia for twenty years, and two more centuries the mints of independent cities issued this coinage as an interstate coin.
Alexander stator
The gold coin of Alexander the Great, a stator standardized at 8.67 grams, had one of the highest denominations. The design of coinage was carefully thought out and implied a deep content. On the reverse was a picture of the winged Nika, the victorious goddess holding the naval standard in her left hand and the laurel crown of the winner in her right. The name ALEXANDROU is vertically sealed in the same place. This indicated the outstanding military victories of the royal commander and his military luck.
The obverse of the coin displayed the profile of Pallas Athena in a Corinthian helmet with a characteristic high crest. Of all the inhabitants of Olympus, this goddess, Alexander the Great, as his patroness, revered especially. She was considered not only the goddess of wisdom and intelligence, ingenuity and dexterity, sciences and knowledge, but also the embodiment of martial art and strategy. That is, those qualities that Alexander himself possessed.
Silver drams
On the obverse of these antique coins of the times of Alexander the Great, as well as on his tetradrachms, they depicted the profile of Hercules with his attribute: the skin of a Nemean lion. The reverse side contained the image of Zeus seated on the throne with the inscription ALEXANDROU. Drachma made up one fourth of the tetradrachm and since the coinage was of the same type, it differed only in size (18 mm) and weight (4.2 grams).
Bronze coins
This money was the most variable in face value and design. The most common bronze coins have a coinage of the head of Hercules on the front side and a quiver with arrows on the back. Other common options differ in reverse design, which depicted the design of the Macedonian shields or riders.