Alexander the Great. A linked Open World.Coinage is the only form of evidence to survive from Alexanders lifetime in large quantities. It has much to tell us about the nature of his empire. And it has also had a profound influence on the reception of Alexander as a political and economic actor in more modern times. Yet that evidence is fragile and its transnational nature means that it is not assured the protection afforded to archaeological heritage that is more easily seen as national.