Philip III Silver Drachm

£ 150.00

A fine Ancient Greek silver Philip III Arrhidaeus drachm, featuring to the obverse the depiction of a young Herakles, portrayed in profile wearing the Nemean lion’ skin headdress. The reverse displays the Greek god Zeus Aëtophoros portrayed bare chested and regally seated on a throne with one leg behind the other. Zeus can be seen to holding an eagle with his right hand and a long sceptre with his left hand. Monograms to the left field and torch under the throne. The deity is flanked to the right side by Greek letters forming the word ΦIΛIΠΠOY, meaning Of Philip. Sardes mint.

Date: Circa 323 – 319 BC
Condition: Fine.

SOLD

Product Code: GS-47
Category: Tag:

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.

Dimensions L 1.6 cm
Metal

Silver

Region

Southern Europe

Greek & Hellenistic Rulers

Philip III Arrhidaeos

Greek Mythology

Herakles

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, accession number 1978.93.21.

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