The Earliest Alexander III Tetradrachm Coinage of Babylon: Iconographic Development and Chronology.

The earliest tetradrachms (Group 1) from the mint of Alexander the Great at Babylon show a rapid progression in the development of iconographic detail, accompanied by a pattern of die use, which taken together indicate that the mint most probably commenced production in 326/5 BC. Group 1 consists of a small, short duration emission bearing the hallmarks of a rapid evolution of iconographic elements and style that laid the foundation for the expansive mint operation responsible for the subsequent Group 2 coinage. The latter was the most prolific of any from the mint. Initially the mint appears to have utilized two die engravers from the earlier Babylonian mint of the satrap Mazaios, supplemented shortly thereafter by die engravers from farther afield, possibly from one of the northern Phoenician, Syrian or Kilikian mints. Group 1 has the characteristics of a brief commissioning stage, lasting four to six months. It represents a modest estimated coined volume of c. 159 Attic talents.