KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’, 336-323 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 24 mm, 17.33 g, 10 h), Lampsakos, struck under Kalas or Demarchos, circa 328/5-323 BC. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. AΛEΞANΔP[OY] Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to left, cult statue of Artemis Phosphoros standing facing, holding two torches; below throne, monogram of ΔΙΟ. ADM II Series V, 38 (same obverse die). Price 1355. SNG Berry 215. Well struck and of particularly fine style, with a wonderful Phidian rendering of Zeus. Struck on a slightly short flan and with very light doubling on the reverse, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.



The wonderfully modeled and unusually large head of Zeus on this early lifetime tetradrachm of Alexander strongly recalls the Zeus head on the early tetradrachms of his father, Philip II, and ultimately the famous colossal Zeus statue by Phidias in Olympia.