Kings of Macedon. Uncertain mint in Asia Minor or the Levant. Alexander III "the Great" 336-323 BC. possibly struck under Seleukos I Nikator (but SC doubts that),
Tetradrachm AR

26 mm, 17,11 g

Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion's skin headdress / BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY, Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and, in his right, eagle standing right with closed wings; to left, monogram of ΔΑ; below throne, but above strut, ΘΕ.

Very Fine

HGC 10h; Price 3786; SC 295.

Herakles is closely associated with the lion skin, which he famously wore after slaying the Nemean Lion, one of the challenges in his Twelve Labors. The Nemean Lion was a monstrous beast with an impenetrable hide that made it invulnerable to weapons. The lion terrorized the region around Nemea, and as his first labor, Herakles was tasked with killing it. Realizing that his weapons were ineffective against the lion's tough hide, Herakles used his immense strength to wrestle the creature, ultimately killing it by strangling it with his bare hands. After the lion was dead, Herakles skinned it using its own claws, as no other tool could pierce its hide. He then wore the lion's pelt as a cloak, with the lion's head serving as a helmet. This lion skin became one of Herakles' most iconic symbols, representing his strength, bravery, and triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. The lion skin not only provided Herakles with protection in his subsequent adventures but also became a symbol of his heroic identity. In art and sculpture, Herakles is often depicted wearing this distinctive lion skin, making him easily recognizable and reinforcing his status as a legendary figure in Greek mythology.