A tetradrachm with Herakles wearing an elephant scalp. Struck around 315 BC by Ptolemy I, a genius in financial matters and a friend and general of Alexander the Great. On the reverse, we see the Greek inscription Alexandrou, which only means that this is a coin of Alexander. It is commonly believed that this is an authentic portrait of Alexander. For my part I am not quite sure. All I can say is that IF there is a portrait of Alexander on a coin, then this is it. It shows a important man: the eye is turned upwards, as is the head just like the earliest contemporary heads of Alexander sculpted in marble. There are various dies for this coin. I have chosen this particular coin with its broad flan, although the surface was off center, and corroded below the chin. In 315 BC it was too early for Ptolemy I to have his portrait on his own coins. At the beginning of his reign he continued minting Alexander's world currency with the head of the world conqueror but wearing the scalp of the Indian elephant. On the reverse is still a seated Zeus. Around 300 BC Ptolemy replaced it with his own portrait.