Coin: Tetradrachm with Head of Alexander III (obv) and Athena (rev)
| Issuing Authority | Lysimachus |
|---|---|
| Culture | Greek |
| Title | Coin: Tetradrachm with Head of Alexander III (obv) and Athena (rev) |
| Date | 323–281 BCE |
| Medium | Silver |
| Dimensions | Weight: 0.04 lb. |
| Credit Line | Burton Y. Berry Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 82.66.26 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
One side of coin: Head of a man faces right. A curled horn appears in his curly hair. Other side: A seated woman faces left; she carries a shield and spear, and holds statuette. Another statue is placed on the left.
Description:
Obverse: Head of deified Alexander III, facing right. Reverse: Athena seated, left, with shield and spear, holding Nike. To left, enthroned cult image. In exergue, goat's head, left.
Inscription:
Reverse: to right and left, (Gr.) BASILEÔS LUSIMACHOU.
While in Egypt in 331 BCE, Alexander made a pilgrimage to the oracle of Ammon, an Egyptian god associated with Zeus—and was proclaimed to be the son of Ammon. Alexander promoted focus on this divine lineage, and a generation later, King Lysimachus used the image of Alexander with the ram’s horns of Zeus-Ammon to legitimize his own rule.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Coin: Tetradrachm with Head of Alexander III (obv) and Athena (rev) | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=82.66.26