Alexander the Great Silver Tetradrachm with Rare Seleucid Countermark

Alexander III (Alexander the Great), AR Tetradrachm. Paselis, Lycia mint. 218-186 B.C. (coin struck) and 200-165 B.C. (countermark). Posthumous issue. 

Obverse: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headress, with Seleucid anchor countermark on the head. 

Reverse: Zeus seated on throne facing left with right leg drawn back, eagle on outstretched right hand, scepter in left hand. AΛEΞANΔΡOY (“ALEXANDROU”) meaning “of Alexander” in the right field; in the left field, Φ above Θ.

References: Price 2846; Prokesch-Osten 53; American Numismatic Society 1944.100.32263; 1944.100.32262; Bibliothèque Nationale de France R4170; Munzkabinett Berlin 18207193

In numismatics, a countermark refers to a secondary mark that is stamped or punched onto a coin after it has already been minted. Countermarks served various purposes, including validating a coin's authenticity, revaluation/devaluation, and acting as a form of currency control. Here, the Seleucid anchor countermark specifically pertains to authorized coins used during the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid practice of countermarking foreign silver coins, particularly tetradrachms, played a crucial role in validating and regulating their circulation as authorized currency.