Greek Tetradrachm

logger7

Does anyone know what the catalogue on this is? Thanks.

atom

This info coming from AI;

This is a posthumous silver tetradrachm in the name of Alexander III "the Great," from the Babylon mint, struck under Seleukos I Nikator around 311–305 BC. It is most likely Price 3746.

Matching features

• Obverse: Head of Herakles facing right, wearing the lion-skin headdress, with a dotted border.
• Reverse: Zeus seated left on a throne, holding an eagle and a sceptre. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ runs down the right side and ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ is in the exergue. There is a monogram inside a wreath at left and a two-letter mark under the throne. Auction listings describe this type as a Babylon issue under Seleukos I, c. 311–305 BC, with a monogram in a wreath at left and MI under the throne, cataloged as Price 3746 and Müller 734.
• The mark under the throne looks like "ΔΙ" in your photo. It is probably a weakly struck ΜΙ, the standard control mark for this issue. Harvard's example lists the wreath monogram as ΜΤΡ (a ligature of M, T, and rho).
• Other references: Sear 6713, and Seleucid Coins (SC) 82.5a.

Checks for you

• Weight: Genuine pieces weigh about 16.5–17.2 g. Sold examples weighed 16.75–16.83 g and measured about 25 mm.
• Variant: Look carefully at the mark under the throne and at whether there is a symbol below the wreath. Close variants such as Price 3747 differ in small details like these. A clearer photo of the field to the left of Zeus would settle it.
• Value: A Good Very Fine example had a €250 estimate in 2026, and a weaker Fine example sold for A$140. Yours looks sharper than both, especially the obverse portrait, so it would probably sell for more.

Photos can't confirm authenticity. These coins are faked a lot, so it's worth getting it slabbed by NGC Ancients if you don't have a provenance for it.

Sources:

• NumisBids – Mars Vltor Auction 25, Lot 13
• Baldwin's – Alexander the Great Tetradrachm
• Noble Numismatics – Lot 3287
• Harvard Art Museums 1986.528.2
• CoinTalk – Babylon Alexander tets

logger7

EF or so; probably an $800-$1000 in value based on a sale research. It looks like NGC is taking too long on ancients.

numismagram

The correct reference is Price 2949, which is Side mint, though it's now generally regarded as a posthumous Alexander III type under his successor, Philip III, with the mint possibly being Side or simply a different uncertain mint in Cilicia. The detail is solid, though given the scattered marks, especially the scratches under the wreath, it's probably more in the $500-750 range. Also, the AI analysis is simply beyond terrible and misleading.

logger7

Thanks for the analysis. I'd think that the eye appeal compared to many other issues alone would be worth a strong premium. The local owner of "world coin and currency" made the valuation who is a cataloguer and knows what these are worth.