Kingdom of Thrace, Lysimachus Silver Drachm

circa 305-281 B.C.

Lysimachus 305-281 BC

General of Alexander the Great Silver Drachm authenticated and graded Very Fine by NGC and encapsulated to protect your investment.

Alexander’s death in 323 BC left his empire without a designated heir or rightful successor. Therefore, the empire was divided among Alexander’s generals who later began to take the title of king. Lysimachus was assigned to govern Thrace in northern Greece, and in 301 BC at the Battle of Ipsus, Lysimachus overthrew the successor Antigonous Monophthalmus and became a leading power. Before Ipsus, Lysimachus did not have a mint and did not strike any coins. However, with his victory he acquired western Asia Minor along with its many important minting cities, including Lampsakos, Abydus, Teos, Colophon and Magnesia.

 

Lysimachus had this particular coin created for political purposes. Rulers used the image of Alexander on coins after his death in order to prove themselves the legitimate successors of the deceased king. After a period of time, however, rulers such as Ptolemy began replacing images of Alexander on coins with images of themselves after they took a royal title.

 

Obverse- the image of Alexander the Great. He is depicted wearing a diadem and with the horns of a ram. The horns represent Alexander’s divinity by conveying his lineage as the son of the Greek god Zeus Ammon.

Reverse- Athena, seated, and holding the god Nike. Athena, known best as the goddess of war, is holding Nike, an attribute of Athena whose function was a testament of success in war as well as in other endeavors. In addition, Nike is seen as “a sort of mediator of success between gods and men.” The wording on the coin, according to the British Museum, is a Greek legend, which translates to “Of King Lysimachus.”

 

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$200.00

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