What is an Alexander?

Andrew MeadowsNew College, Oxford

Gold Types

Distater Stater

Hemistater Quarter stater Eighth stater

Main Silver Types

10dr 4dr

2dr drHemidr

5 ob 2ob ob Hemiob

HemidrachmDiobol Obol

Stater Hekte Hemihekte

1/5 drachm 1/30 drachm

Other Silver Types

Bronze Units and Half-units

Gold Types

Athena/NikeAthena/Thun-derboltAthena/Bow & Club

Silver Types

Heracles/Zeus Heracles/2 eaglesHeracles/Quiver, bow & club

Heracles/Eagle

Heracles/Thunderbolt Zeus/EagleApollo/Youth on horse

AE Unit

Heracles/Quiver, bow & clubHeracles/Bow, bowcase & clubApollo/Youth on horseOther

AE Half

Shield/HelmetYouth/HorseHeracles/EagleOther

95%94 %

98% 99%

Lifetime Posthumous

Periods of Production• 333-324: Essentially those coinages deemed by Price to be ‘lifetime’ (on the low

chronology)• 323-301: The period of the immediate successors to Alexander down just past

the great declarations of kingship to the Battle of Ipsos• 300-282 From Ipsos to the settlement of the world following the Battle of

Corupedium in 281• 281-224: From Corupedium to the accession of Antiochus III in the east, and to

just before the outbreak of the Social War in Greece• 223-191: The reign of Antiochus III to the battle of Magnesia and the removal of

Antiochus from Asia Minor• 190-126: The post-Apameia period in Asia Minor and the last Alexanders of the

Seleucid kingdom, Macedon and Greece• 125-70: The continuation of production of the Black Sea mints down to their

closure and the end of Alexander coinage c. 70 BC.

Numbers of types by metal by period

333-324 323-301 300-282 281-224 223-191 190-126 125-700

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

ARAUAE

Types vs. specimens

Type nos. from Price/Pella; hoard figures from Duyrat (2005), Tbl. 10

333-324 (4drs) 4dr. Hoards

MacedonGreeceBlack SeaW. Asia MinorS Asia MinorCyprusSyria & PhoeniciaThe EastEgypt & Cyrenaica

Numbers of types by metal by period

333-324 323-301 300-282 281-224 223-191 190-126 125-700

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

ARAUAE

Numbers of types by metal by period/Year

333-324 323-301 300-282 281-224 223-191 190-126 125-700

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

ARAUAE

Lifetime Posthumous

333-324 281-224

223-191 190-126 125-70

323-301 300-282

Alexander types by region, by period

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

05

1015202530354045

Macedon/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

Greece/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-700

1

2

3

4

5

6

Black Sea/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

05

10152025303540

W. Asia Minor/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70012345678

S Asia Minor/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-700123456

Cyprus/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

02468

10121416

Syria & Phoenicia/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

0

4

8

12

16

The East/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2

Egypt & Cyrenaica/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

05

1015202530354045

Macedon/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

Greece/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-700

1

2

3

4

5

6

Black Sea/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

05

10152025303540

W. Asia Minor/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70012345678

S Asia Minor/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-700123456

Cyprus/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

02468

10121416

Syria & Phoenicia/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

0

4

8

12

16

The East/Yr

333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2

Egypt & Cyrenaica/Yr

Overall denominational split

4drs.drs.frs.

Denominations by period4drs. drs.

frs.333-324

323-301

300-282

281-224

223-191

190-126

125-70

Denominations by region4drs. drs.

frs.

Types of Alexander coinage:Agency and Purpose

Alexanders

Lifetime

Macedonian Imperial

Posthumous

Royal

Continuation Imitative

Civic

Royal civic Civic civic=