Obverse: Portrait of Zeus Crowned with a Laurel
Wreath
Reverse: Nude Youth Holding a Branch and
Riding a Horse
Phillip II of Macedon has been proclaimed to be
the greatest king in European History. He
changed Macedon from a divided group of
fiefdoms into a powerful unified kingdom that
vanquished great empires and became a terror in
the ancient world. Phillip was a diplomatic
genius possessing a natural strategic ability.
Under his leadership, the Macedonian army
would become the most formidable fighting
force in the ancient world. After trade with
Greece declined, Phillip used the resources of
Macedon to acquire revenue to build up his
army. Phillip also sought to improve the military
by constantly training and drilling his soldiers in
the use of new weapons and lighter armor. New,
innovative tactics were also developed and
utilized. Phillip's most formidable opponent was
Athens. Although he sought to be on good
diplomatic terms with Athens initially, they
would eventually engage in war. Athens attacked
Phillip, but was defeated at the battle of
Charisoneia on August 22, 338 B.C. Afterwards,
Phillip concentrated on expanding his empire to
the east. However, before his dream was
realized, he was assassinated in 336 B.C. His
son, Alexander the Great, would ascend the
throne and go on to realize his father’s vision of
an expansive eastern empire.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether currency in
the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten
empire. Worth a month’s salary, a silver coin like
this would have rewarded the bravery and
fortitude of the officers serving under one of
history’s most celebrated leaders, Phillip II.
Following his father’s example, Phillip’s son
Alexander carved out one of the largest
kingdoms the world has ever known. While this
vast empire dissolved after Alexander’s death,
the legend of Phillip II will continue to live on not
only in our history books and museums, but also
in artifacts like this coin: concrete remnants of
ancient empires passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to
generation.
- (C.2002)
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