Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)
Unknown Artist
297–281 BCE
Medium
silver
Dimensions
diam. 3 cm
Classification
Coins
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
Accession Number
1917.984
About this artwork
A contemporary of Alexander the Great and one of his generals, Lysimachos used coins like this one to emphasize his connections to the fallen leader. The images of the goddesses Athena and Nike, or Victory, on the reverse, together with an inscription naming King Lysimachos, further legitimize his reign, first in Thrace and then in parts of Macedonia and Asia Minor.