Ancient Macedonian Silver Coin of King Philip III Arrhidaeus (Successor of Alexander the Great)

Substantial silver tetradrachm (16.80g) struck at the Babylon mint in the turbulent years following the death of Alexander the Great. Issued in the name of Philip III Arrhidaeus, Alexander’s half-brother, this coin belongs to the earliest phase of the Wars of the Diadochi — the struggles among Alexander’s generals for control of his vast empire.

Although Philip III was proclaimed king in 323 BC, real authority rested in the hands of powerful regents and military commanders. Babylon, once a Persian capital and later Alexander’s eastern administrative center, became a critical hub during the empire’s uncertain transition.

The coin’s design intentionally preserves Alexander’s iconic imagery to maintain economic and political continuity. The obverse shows Herakles wearing the lion-skin headdress — a type closely associated with Alexander himself. The reverse depicts Zeus enthroned, holding eagle and scepter, with field marks and throne symbols identifying the Babylonian mint (Price 181).

Struck as a tetradrachm — a major international trade denomination — this silver issue helped sustain commerce across the eastern Mediterranean and Near East during imperial fragmentation.

An essential Diadochi-era type, this Babylon tetradrachm embodies the fragile balance between continuity and collapse in the immediate aftermath of Alexander’s empire.