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Source Description
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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
98320
label
Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
98320
contentType
object
title
Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)
description
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.
date
297–281 BCE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79483739
genreSpecific
Coins
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 3 cm (1 3/16 in.)
cul
Greek, Macedonian, minted at Lysimachia (Thrake), reign of Lysimachos
accession
1917.984
Source extras
tec
silver
tombstone
Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse), 297–281 BCE. Greek, Macedonian, minted at Lysimachia (Thrake), reign of Lysimachos. Silver; diameter: 3 cm (1 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1917.984
collection
GR - Greek
inscriptions
inscription
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ | ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ
inscription_translation
Of the king Lysimachos
inscription_remark
Reverse
inscription
ΑΡ
inscription_remark
Reverse; Ligature (magistrate's symbol)
inscription
Λ within Π
inscription_remark
Reverse; Ligature (magistrate's symbol)
didYouKnow
Although Alexander the Great appears on this coin, the inscription on the reverse identifies its issuer as Lysimachos.
citations
citation
"Accessions." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 4, no. 4 (1917): 64-67.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 64
creditline
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:18:26.844000
sourceId
98320
dept
Greek and Roman Art
coll
GR - Greek
med
silver
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
cb5114b7d8773bc8