Upon the conquest of Mesopotamia by Alexander the Great and his armies, a series of local coinage was minted in Babylon by Alexander and continued under his successors. Prior to Alexander's arrival, Babylon was controlled by the Persians, and his coins were minted according to the Persian standard and decorated with Persian motifs, no doubt in order to reinforce his own legitimacy as the Eastern styled "Great King." This period of occupation is generally referred to by scholars as part of the Alexandrine Empire. - (C.7731)