The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 16, 2026

A silver coin depicts the profile head of Alexander facing right, with thick wavy hair and a ram's horn curling around his ear. On the reverse, Athena sits on a throne facing left, extending a hand to hold a small winged figure. Vertical Greek text, "ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ" and "ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ," borders the goddess. A circular shield rests behind her throne. The silver shows slight surface wear.

Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)

297–281 BCE

Greek, Macedonian, minted at Lysimachia , reign of Lysimachos

(Thrake)
silver
Diameter: 3 cm (1 3/16 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1917.984
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Although Alexander the Great appears on this coin, the inscription on the reverse identifies its issuer as Lysimachos.

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.
  • (Charles T. Seltman)
  • "Accessions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 4, no. 4 (1917): 64-67. Mentioned: p. 64 www.jstor.org
  • {{cite web|title=Tetradrachm: Head of Alexander (obverse); Athena (reverse)|url=false|author=|year=297–281 BCE|access-date=16 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1917.984