Was Tarsus Alexander's Imperial Mint?

Alexander the Great's colossal empire, created in the 4th century BCE and stretching from Greece to India, was not merely a military triumph, but also an economic revolution. The most crucial instrument of this revolution was,

a standard currency valid throughout the empire: the iconic silver tetradrachms bearing the lion-skin clad head of Heracles on the obverse and enthroned Zeus on the reverse. These coins became the Hellenistic world's first global currency. However, a debate has persisted among numismatists for decades: Where were these revolutionary coins first minted? In Alexander's homeland of Macedon, or in Tarsus in Anatolia, the first major minting center he conquered? This question is not merely a geographical curiosity, but also an attempt to understand Alexander's strategic vision and the genesis of his monetary policy.

The argument that Tarsus was the first imperial mint was strongly put forth by E.T. Newell, one of the most prominent numismatists of the 20th century. Newell's theory was based on logical and stylistic evidence. When Alexander captured Tarsus in the summer of 333 BCE, there was already an active and high-capacity Persian mint operating there. This mint was striking silver staters in the name of Persian satraps like Mazaios, featuring an enthroned depiction of the local deity Baaltars on the obverse. Newell drew attention to the striking stylistic similarity between the enthroned Zeus figure on Alexander's new tetradrachms and the depiction of Baaltars. According to him, this was clear evidence that the same die engravers and mint masters continued production simply by changing their masters and gods. According to this theory, Alexander, utilizing Tarsus's existing infrastructure, immediately began the minting of imperial coinage there to meet his army's urgent need for funds.  

This view was later supported by other numismatists, such as Orestes Zervos. Zervos, by examining the wear rates of coins found in the large Demanhur hoard in Egypt, argued that coins minted in Tarsus appeared to have circulated longer than those minted in Macedon, and therefore must have been struck earlier. Furthermore, he suggested that Alexander's silver coins were struck not on the Attic standard, but on a local standard used in Tarsus, which also indicated that production began there.  

However, the strongest objection to this "Tarsus first" theory came from another giant in numismatics, Martin Price. Price presented his counter-arguments in 1982, publishing articles alongside Zervos. According to Price, the stylistic origins of the enthroned Zeus figure could also be found in earlier Greek coinage and therefore were not necessarily unique to Tarsus. It was far more logical that Alexander would have planned the design and production of his new currency in his homeland of Macedon before embarking on such a grand campaign. Price also objected to Zervos's interpretation of the hoard evidence, stating that wear rates do not provide a definitive chronology.  

Today, the general consensus in the numismatic world leans closer to Martin Price's view. It is generally accepted that Alexander began the minting of imperial coinage in a center such as Amphipolis or Pella in Macedon before the campaign commenced, and that Tarsus was the first and most important Asian mint to come into operation immediately after its conquest.

In conclusion, the definitive answer to the question, "Was Tarsus Alexander's first mint?" may never be found. However, the very existence of this academic debate highlights Tarsus's extraordinary importance. The city's strong candidacy for this title underscores how central a role it played in Alexander's economic and military strategy from the very beginning. Whether first or second, the Tarsus mint was undoubtedly one of the main engines of the numismatic revolution that financed Alexander the Great's empire and shaped the Hellenistic world.

Source:
https://escholarship.org/content/qt7116w7hn/qt7116w7hn_noSplash_5801c6803c8a355f253c36fc6a80224c.pdf?t=krne06
https://archaeology.brown.edu/native-publications/dating-coinage-alexander-great