Nomos 19

KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’, 336-323 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 17.26 g, 7 h), "Pella", 325-315. Head of Herakles to left, wearing lion's skin headdress. Rev. AΛEΞANΔΡOΥ Zeus seated left on throne with a back, holding long scepter in his left hand and, in his right, eagle standing right with closed wings; below throne, Θ. Price 213. Very rare. Toned and lustrous, sharply struck on a very broad flan. Edges hammered in antiquity, otherwise, extremely fine.

From a Swiss collection.

This is a remarkably elegant coin; perhaps because of the way the edges were treated in ancient times. Why this hammering was done is unclear: the flans may have been treated this way as part of the manufacturing process prior to striking. Or, perhaps, it was done after the coin was struck, perhaps as a way of making it into a work of art, or using it in one. Whatever, in the hand this is a very impressive coin, one of the finest existing examples of the Pella left-facing Herakles heads.