On the Reattribution of Some Byblos Alexanders to Arados II

This study makes the case for the reattribution from Byblos to a second mint at Arados (Arados II) of the coinage of Alexander the Great bearing the   ligate AP mint mark. The majority of the early output from this mint was gold staters. Most probably the mint was established to accommodate the expansion of gold coinage production from c. 328/7 BC, while silver Alexandrine coinage remained the priority of the first mint (Arados I), which had its origins in the old Achaemenid mint at Arados. After the initial striking of a substantial gold stater coinage, accompanied by a minor silver tetradrachm mintage, Arados II then issued a sizeable silver tetradrachm coinage. Both mints at Arados produced Macedonian imperial coinage until c. 321/0 BC at which time Arados I ceased operation. Based on the hoard record, it is likely that Arados II continued to strike Alexander tetradrachms until around 301/0 BC when the city passed from Antigonid to Seleukid control following the Battle of Ipsos.