This large silver ancient Greek tetradrachm dates back over 2300 years to the era of Alexander the Great, 19th king of the Kingdom of Macedonia from 336 - 323 BCE. This is widely considered to be one of the most iconic and sought after of all ancient coins.  This exceptional example is one of the finest and highest condition coins to have survived from this era, exhibiting intricate detail in very close to "as struck" condition. The coin comes with a certificate of authenticity and historical information page.

The obverse of this coin features an image of Herakles (or Hercules as the Romans called him) wearing a headdress made of a lion skin. The reverse features an image of the supreme god, Zeus, who was the father of Herakles. Zeus sits on his throne holding a scepter and eagle. 

Alexander was the son of Philip II, king of Macedon, who provided Alexander with the foundation to build a vast empire on an unprecedented scale. Alexander was only 20 years old when he became king. However, he had received military training all his life at the side of his father, and had been tutored in Greek classical learning by Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers of the time. 

Alexander's greatest legacy to numismatics was his practice of paying his soldiers in cash, which enabled the spread of Macedonian coinage and culture throughout the western world. The silver tetradrachm was the largest regularly circulating unit of currency in Alexander's empire, and represented a full week's salary for the average soldier.

Alexander met an unexpected and mysterious death in 323 BC. At the time of his death, Alexander was just 32 years old. Whether his death was from fever or poisoning, Alexander left a legacy which transformed the world. In addition to uniting most of the western world and spreading Greek culture and knowledge, Alexander established the first uniform monetary system made possible relatively easy trade between distant places.