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Alexander style SEAL, a global brand

Contributed by David

Alexander style SEAL, a global brand

Privately-owned chalcedony gem SEAL has fine coloured intrusions to secure its uniqueness. Intaglio shows seated Zeus clothed in sacred robe holding over one shoulder a scepter symbolizing lightning, with eagle of victory in hand. This is similar design to the huge, 13m 'wonder of world' statue of Zeus with winged Nike overseeing Olympic games at Elis, a uniting brand for the factious Greeks. The teenage Alexander the Great was Royal Seal-holder for his father, Macedonian King Philip II, when he attacked Chalcedon in Asia. (Philip won horse-races at Olympics; his mother Olympias said Alexander was really a son of Zeus.) With the eagle, the design became the brand for Alexander's lightning victories against the Persian Empire. He won his victories wearing a talisman of chrysoprase, a golden-green chalcedony. Silver coins bearing Alexander's brand aided commerce beyond his empire as the first world currency. Later coins show a goddess, as do denarius coins of Roman Caesar Tiberius branded as pontifex maximus,(the tribute penny of Matt 22:19). The eagle appears on Legion standards and empire symbols today. The 2300 year brand was transformed as Britannia on Roman and modern UK money.©

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Location
Culture
Period

Ancient styling and form around 340

Theme
Size
H:
1.7cm
W:
0.85cm
D:
0.4cm
Colour
Material

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