After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, the governing generals appointed to rule provinces of the Macedonian empire fought to divide Alexander's legacy into independent kingdoms. In an effort to depict themselves as the legitimate heir of the deceased emperor, many of these monarchs chose to include a portrait of Alexander on their coins.

Lysimachus was one such king. The front of the coin carries an image of Alexander, including the ram's horns (borrowed from the Egyptian god Amun) that became a common attribute associated with his portraiture. On the reverse side is the figure of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. The Greek legend surrounded the seated Athena reads: "Of King Lysimachus."¹

A general and companion to Alexander, he was appointed ruler of Thrace in 305 BCE, and retained rulership after Alexander's death. From his Thracian power base in northeastern Greece, Lysimachus fought a rival Greek king, Antigonus of Anatolia, and added a portion of Antigonus's realm to his own. This coin dates to the period of Thracian control over parts of northern Macedonian. It was struck at a mint located in the city of Lampsakos, now Lapseki in modern Turkey.

(1) See the British Museum web page dedicated to this object.