Seleucid Empire, Seleucus I Nicator, 312-281 BC, Tetradrachm ca. 311-300 BC, Babylon I

Alexander adopted his father's Panhellenic idea, but slightly modified the symbolism for his new types. This probably had something to do with his ambitions. The new coin types show Panhellenic deities symbolizing courage and majesty. They were actually more than just Panhellenic, they were chosen so that they could also be associated with Asian deities. Alexander certainly identified strongly with Heracles, who was known for his courage, bravery and endurance. The Greek hero here wears his iconic and magnificent prize, the skin of the Nemean lion, though the depiction can also be identified with the Phoenician Melqart. On the reverse we find Zeus, the central god of the Greek pantheon. In this pose, it is also easily identifiable with the Cilician Ba'altars and the Babylonian Marduk.

After Alexander's death, his successors adopted the design and types of Alexander's Tetradrachms and continued to issue them for many decades. The acceptance of this popular coin type must have been great. After the Athenian Tetradrachms, the Tetradrachms of Alexander were the most popular and most circulated coins of the ancient Greeks. The present example was minted by Seleucus I. in the name and types of Alexander III of Macedon (336-323 BC). It is, in our opinion, a very attractive example from an artistic point of view.