Alexander the Great's gold distater

Alexander the Great, born in 356 BC, was one of the most successful military leaders in history. He conquered a large part of Asia and ruled a kingdom that spanned from the Ionian sea to the Himalayas before he was 30 years old. One of his many achievements was the establishment of a single currency across his empire. Flush with massive hoards of Persian gold he struck the largest Greek gold coin issued up to that time: the gold distater. Sources says he was determined to outdo the hero Hercules.

Sarcophagus of King Abdalonymos of Sidon

Athena was the protector of Hercules and other heroes, and Alexander adopted her image on his gold coinage, showing her wearing a Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled snake. The reverse is a representation of Nike, the goddess of victory. Gold distaters were extremely valuable. This proved inconvenient for normal daily spending, so many were melted down.

Gold Staters weighed roughly 8.6g of .997 fine purity. Exceptional examples are always in high demand. Coins that were struck during his reign (lifetime issues) are the most desirable by collectors and often the rarest.
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