Philippeioi (Greek: Φιλίππειοι, Philíppeioi), later called Alexanders (Ἀλέξανδροι, Aléxandroi),[1] were the gold coins used in the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedonia. First issued at some point between 355 and 347 BC,[2] the coins featured a portrait of the Greek deity Apollo on the obverse, and on the reverse, an illustration of a biga, a Greek chariot drawn by two horses.[3] They had the value of one gold stater each.[2] In the first issuing, Apollo was depicted with long hair, but after that the design was altered permanently to one in which Apollo's hair was shorter.[4]
The coins were intended primarily for large purchases outside of Macedonia.[3] As a result, they spread quickly, first to the Balkans and continental Greece,[2] and eventually throughout the Western world of the time; stashes of philippeioi have been uncovered in Italy, Constantinople, Southern Russia, Cyprus, Syria, and Egypt. The vast majority of these were actually struck by Philip's successor, Alexander the Great.[2] The philippeioi issued by Alexander after Philip's death continued to use that name officially, though they were often called "alexanders" by Alexander's supporters.[1]
- ^ a b Bernstein, Peter L. (2000). The Power of Gold. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0-471-25210-7.
- ^ a b c d Metcalf, William (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage. Oxford University Press. pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-0-19-530574-6. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ a b Hammond, N. G. L. (1998). The Genius of Alexander the Great. UNC Press Books. pp. 53–54. ISBN 0-8078-4744-5. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ Greek Coins. Taylor and Francis. 1955. p. 201. Retrieved 10 December 2012.