Updated: June 2026
Alexander and silver
Alexander the Great is often linked with silver — through his elite “Silver Shields”, the silver coins struck in his name, and the silver his army carried east. A popular legend says silver kept his men healthy, but the reliable histories don’t record it.
This guide covers Alexander the Great and silver: his famous Silver Shields, the silver vessels legend, and what the historical record actually says.
If you have read about colloidal silver, you have probably met the story that Alexander’s officers stayed healthy because they drank from silver.
It is a good story. Here is what is actually known, and what isn’t.
For the wider arc, see the story of silver.
UK-made colloidal silver, in dark glass
Double-purified water — reverse osmosis, then distilled — with real silver. Made in the UK.
Did Alexander the Great’s soldiers drink from silver vessels?
It is a popular story, but the reliable ancient histories don’t actually record it.
The careful accounts of Alexander, by writers such as Arrian and Plutarch, don’t mention silver vessels keeping his troops well. That detail belongs to the later legend of Alexander, not the histories.
Who were the Silver Shields?
The Silver Shields, or Argyraspides, were Alexander’s elite veteran infantry, named for their silver-plated shields.
They were among the most feared soldiers of the ancient world, and they are the most solid, documented link between Alexander and silver.
Did Alexander use silver on his campaigns?
Yes. Silver was real and central to Alexander’s world, even if the health legend isn’t.
His army carried and looted silver, including ornate vessels, especially during the Indian campaign, and the famous silver tetradrachm coins were struck in his name.
Is the legend that silver kept his army healthy true?
There is no reliable historical evidence for it, so it is best treated as legend rather than fact.
We would rather tell you that plainly than repeat a tale as if it were proven. We make no health claims, and our colloidal silver is sold for external use only.
Why is silver linked to Alexander at all?
The link is real, just not the medical one — it comes from a few solid places.
- The Silver Shields — his famous elite troops, named for their silver shields.
- His coinage — the silver tetradrachms struck in his name and image.
- The spoils — the silver vessels and treasure his army carried west.
So the honest version is the more interesting one: silver runs right through Alexander’s story, in his soldiers, his money and his spoils.
We carry a little of that long story forward — carefully made colloidal silver, produced in the UK and bottled in dark glass.
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Why buy from Health is a Choice
We make our colloidal silver in the UK, the way we would want it for our own family. We don’t purify our water once — we do it twice.
It is first cleaned by reverse osmosis, then distilled on top of that, before we suspend real silver in it and bottle it in dark glass — never plastic.
- Made and bottled in the UK
- Bottled in dark glass, never plastic
- Double-purified water: reverse osmosis, then distilled
- Available in 10, 100 and 200 ppm
- 100ml dropper, 100ml spray and 500ml refill
- Free Royal Mail Tracked 48 on every order
Related guides
- The story of silver: from ancient vessels to modern day
- Silver in the ancient world: coins, cups and kings
- Silver on the high seas: explorers and long voyages
- Colloidal silver: the complete UK guide
Made in the UK · Dark glass, never plastic · Free Royal Mail Tracked 48
Last updated: June 2026
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. We make no medical claims. If you have a health concern, please speak to your GP or pharmacist.
