Neil S Berman - Expert Numismatist & Gold Coin Dealer

Gold Coins Trade through History

Macedon Gold Stater

Macedon Gold Stater was first made by Phillip II, King of Macedon and father of Alexander III the Great in 359BC. Alexander conquered Persia, Anatolia (Turkey), Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria (Afghanistan), Babylonia and Mesopotamia (Iraq and Iran), and Punjab (Northern India), and his coins were minted and used in all those areas for about one hundred sixty years.

After Alexander’s death, the area was broken into three kingdoms by his generals, each of which in turn was conquered by the Romans by 200BC. The Greek Talent, a gold bar weighing 26.17kg was also used in trade during this period. While the Celts were still making copies of Alexander’s coins in the Third century, the rest of the known world had already switched to Roman gold coins.