Coins struck at Babylon
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Babylon, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Achaemenid Empire.
In short
Babylon struck coinage for Achaemenid satraps, for Alexander and his successors, and for the early Seleucids — the point where Persian imperial administration met Greek monetary technique. Babylon is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 328 BCE – 331 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the principal denominations, issued under Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon.
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 0
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 328 BCE – 331 CE |
| Eras represented | Achaemenid Empire |
| Metals | Silver |
| Issuers | Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon |
| Region | Mesopotamia, on the Euphrates |
| Satrapal issuer | Mazaios, c. 331 BCE |
| Major output | Alexander imperial coinage |
| Displaced by | Seleucia-on-the-Tigris |
Mazaios and the satrapal issues
Mazaios, satrap of Babylon, struck silver in the last years of Achaemenid rule and continued under Alexander after surrendering the city in 331 BCE — one of the clearest numismatic illustrations of administrative continuity across a conquest.
Babylon's so-called 'lion staters' and the Baaltars types of the satrapal period sit between Persian and Greek conventions: Aramaic legends, local deities, and weight standards adapted for regional trade.
Alexander and Seleucus
Alexander's Babylon mint was one of the largest producers of his imperial coinage, and the city remained a principal Seleucid workshop until Seleucia-on-the-Tigris displaced it. Control marks and monograms are the working tools for separating Babylon issues from other eastern mints.
Coins are the main evidence for the city's slow eclipse: output declines as the new Tigris capital rises, tracking a population shift that the written sources record only vaguely.
Achaemenid Empire · 550 – 330 BCE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Babylon
- Who was Mazaios?
- The Achaemenid satrap of Babylon who surrendered the city to Alexander in 331 BCE and was reappointed by him, striking coinage under both regimes.
- How are Babylon Alexander coins identified?
- By control marks and monograms in the reverse field, combined with style. Babylon was among the most prolific mints of Alexander's imperial silver.
- What coins were struck at Babylon?
- Babylon is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 328 BCE – 331 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the principal denominations, issued under Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon.
- How many Babylon pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 328 BCE – 331 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.
- Which metals were used for Babylon coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.