During the reign of Alexander the Great it became common for his coins to be minted depicting the mythical hero Herakles. Following the death of Alexander in 323 BC the portrait of Herakles style was continually minted during the rule of his numerous successors (commonly his generals), and it took almost two decades for his successors to feel secure enough to have the coinage printed with their names. Philip III Arrhidaeus (359 – 317 BC), the elder half-brother of Alexander the Great (being sired by the same father), was one of the successors to Alexander and reigned as King of Macedon from 323, eventually sharing the throne with Alexander’s son, Alexander IV, who was born shortly after his death. After only six years of rule and dynastic infighting, Philip was executed by Olympia, the mother of Alexander the Great.
To learn more about the coins of Alexander The Great, please visit our relevant blog post: An Introduction to the Coins of Alexander The Great.
