Alexander the Great's armies carried tetradrachms like this one from Macedon to the edge of India, and this piece is a lifetime issue struck while he still ruled. The type stayed in production for generations after his death, so a great many survivors are posthumous strikings rather than coins made under his own authority. A lifetime issue of the Kingdom of Macedon sits at the head of that long series, and collectors pay close attention to the distinction. At 17.20 grams, this tetradrachm carries the full Attic weight standard that paid the troops and funded the campaign east.

The obverse shows the head of Heracles facing right, wearing the lion skin headdress that signaled his descent from Zeus. Many collectors read Alexander's own features in the youthful face, a connection the Macedonian court was happy to encourage. Zeus fills the reverse, seated on a backless throne with an eagle perched on his outstretched right hand and a long scepter held in his left. The legend ALEXANDROU runs down the right field in bold letters, while a small control mark sits beneath the throne.

NGC Ancients graded this tetradrachm About Uncirculated with marks of 4/5 for strike and 4/5 for surface. The devices stand in sharp relief, with the lion skin and the folds of Zeus's robe fully defined, and the fields keep a light gray patina with warm highlights. Wear is slight and the surfaces show no serious marks, which is far from routine on a silver coin more than 2,300 years old. Sharp detail at the top of the circulated range gives this famous design real presence in hand. A welcome addition to any collection of ancient Greek silver.

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336-323 BC Alexander the Great Silver Tetradrachm NGC About Uncirculated 4x4