Journal Article
Athena, Nike and Macedonian Continuity after Alexander
A gold stater of Philip III Arrhidaios shows how a familiar type could promise political continuity while Alexander’s empire was already being contested.
Read EssayJournal Section
Coin Histories
Read Ancient Gold Journal essays filed under Coin Histories, connecting historical interpretation with objects preserved in the collection.
8 published recordsDocumented Objects & Essays
Records in this context
Journal Article
Alexander’s Image after Alexander: Mithradates VI in Gold
Mithradates VI revived the heroic portrait and enthroned Athena of Hellenistic royal coinage to present Pontos as heir to Alexander’s political world.
Read Essay
Journal Article
Apollo, Prophecy and Royal Power at Syracuse
Agathokles placed Apollo and the Delphic tripod on a compact electrum coin, joining sacred authority to the ambitions of a soldier who became king.
Read Essay
Journal Article
Electrum at the Beginning of Coinage
A tiny Ionian fraction shows how standardized weight and an official punch turned precious metal into one of the earliest forms of struck money.
Read EssayJournal Article
How to Read an Ancient Gold Coin
A practical, object-led method for reading portraits, legends, fields, mint marks and physical evidence without outrunning the record.
Read Essay
Journal Article
Reading Imperial Portraiture in Gold
Diadems, armour, frontal faces and sacred companions turned tiny gold portraits into a grammar of imperial office.
Read Essay
Journal Article
The Gold Solidus and Its Weight Standard
The solidus was defined by a historical target of seventy-two to the Roman pound, while every surviving coin has its own measurable history.
Read EssayJournal Article
Constantine’s Solidus: An Imperial First
How a stable gold denomination became an enduring language of imperial authority.
Read Essay