Alexander the great is considered one of history's greatest military leaders, having never lost a battle. He ascended to the throne of Macedonia at the young age of just 20 and ruled over an area about twice the size of the United Kingdom. By the time he died 13 years later, he had ruled over practically the whole globe and during his conquests of the known world, Alexander had acquired large sums of money. Following his success he decided to turn his attention to his empires currency.

In Ancient Greece, the tetradrachm "the silver stater" was an incredibly popular silver coin which had a value of four drachmae. Over time, the tetradrachm became a well-known and commonly used coin that spread well beyond the confines of the Greek World.
Tetradrachms were frequently utilised by various states and rulers to advertise themselves or transmit political messages because of their larger size compared to other coinage.
The tetradrachm's popularity outlasted the Greeks' political independence, and it was widely circulated throughout the Mediterranean.

Alexander wanted a uniform coin for use by all citizens of his empire. He constructed over 20 mints around his vast empire, all of which were specifically told to produce identical-looking coins. The Athenian tetradrachm and other successful earlier coins were widely used, but the Alexander coins were different since they were produced all over the world. This explains why Alexander's coins are frequently regarded to as the first universal currency