Coins from the Time of Alexander the Great Found

By Queuebot in Everything Else on Mar 5, 2010 at 11:24 am

Over 250 coins dating from the time of Alexander the Great were found in northern Syria, according to Youssef Kanjo, the Syrian archaeologist in charge of excavations at Aleppo. They were unearthed by a local man who was digging a foundation for a home!

The coins date from the Hellenic period, which ranges from 4th to the 1st centuries B.C. after Macedonian warrior-king Alexander the Great spread Greek culture into Middle East and beyond with his conquests.

Kanjo added that the box contained two groups of coins, 137 “tetra” drachmas (four drachmas) and 115 single drachma coins.

One side of the tetra drachma coins depicts Alexander the Great, while the other side shows the Greek god Zeus sitting on a throne with an eagle perched on his extended arm.

Some of the coins bear the inscription King Alexander in Greek, while others say Alexander or carry the name of King Philip, most likely referring to his father.

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Geekazoid.

Tags: Alexander the Great, Coins

Neat stuff from the NeatoShop:

manik
Mar 5th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
So would 663 drachmas have been a lot of money in the Hellenic period?
Splint Chesthair
Mar 5th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
@manik

From Wikipedia on Ancient Greek Cuisine:

“In Aristophanes’ day a piglet cost three drachmas,[36] which was three days wages for a public servant. ”

So yeah, enough to buy 221 piglets, or almost two years wages if the dude who buried it was a public servant.
algomeysa
Mar 5th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
I own a coin that is very similar to these. It has Alexander’s face on one side, and a figure on a throne holding a bird on his outstretched arm. He has his other arm on what might be a spear, or he’s about to do a pole-dance. I always figured it was Alexander, interesting to know that it’s Zeus. I got it in a shop in London, and was told that it was probably from about a century after Alexander’s death.
joe
Mar 5th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
“They were unearthed by a local man who was digging a foundation for a home!”

This is an exclamation? I must be missing something.
Greg.Shilling
Mar 5th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
“The coins date from the Hellenic period..”
Should read “Hellenistic period.”

Both terms share their root in the word “Hellas,” the ancient name for the Greek Isles. “Hellenic” is the adjectival form, meaning simply “Greek” or “Grecian.” “Hellenic Period” refers to the entire thousand year span of ancient Greek History.

“Hellenistic Period” refers to the period following the great military campaigns of Alexander the Great. In this case, “Hellenistic” refers to the aggressive expansion of Greek culture in all the territories conquered by Alexander.
felixthecat
Mar 5th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Poor guy that found these. He “handed” the coins over to the authorities. Did he really have a choice? And how many of these coins will wind up in some private “museum” in a Swiss bank vault?
ted
Mar 7th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Not exactly a rare find. You can buy an Alexander the Great coin on eBay if you want – although watch out for fakes.

Sometimes, these “discoveries” are staged, often in order to give a background to illegally looted treasures.

felixthecat, England has a similar procedure for antiquities found like this.

Keep track of the comments with

Don't Miss: New Stuff | Bestsellers | The Cute Store
Funny T-Shirts

Need a gift? Get unforgettable gifts for:
Geeks | Pranksters | Kids | Hipsters | Shutterbugs

The latest from NeatoBambino: