This enigmatic
gem always captures my attention. It is struck from the only
obverse die that was ever used to strike coins in the name of three successive rulers -
Alexander III, Philip III and Seleukos I, paired with a resurrected
reverse die from which the
Seleucid anchor was erased during the war for control of Babylon 310-308 BC, prior to being
legend and control modified on four separate occasions :
Seleucid Kingdom, Babylonia, Uncertain Mint 6A, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm Obv: Head of
Herakles right wearing
lion skin
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΣΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY
Zeus Aetophoros seated left, Π in left
field (
engraved over erased AΣT,
anchor and MB
monogram), letter A below throne; the only known example with these controls.
Ref:
CSE 938 (this coin); SC 69.7 (this coin).
Babylonia, Uncertain
Mint 6A, 305-301 BC.
(26.1mm, 16.743g, 9h). The blundered
legend ΒΑΣΙΛΣΩΣ is a characteristic of the
reverse die from which this coin was struck, in all four of its modified states, as noted by
Newell.
Forum Ancient Coins; ex- Arthur
Houghton Collection:
CNG 122 (7 September 2005) Lot 59.
This is a very enigmatic coin. The
obverse die, very clearly of "Uncertain
Mint 6A"
type, that was used to strike the coin is here in an advanced state of wear. Previously it
had been used to strike issues in the name of
Alexander, then Philip and on this example Seleukos. This is the only known die to have achieved such mileage! Otto Morkholm's "Early Hellenistic Coinage" plate IX 149-151 illustrates the die paired with reverses bearing legends of each of the three rulers.
As if this is not enough of a point of interest, on this coin the enigmatic
obverse is paired with a
reverse die that is re-commissioned from the prior period of
anchor erasure at Babylon II, when coins in the name of
Alexander were subject to the
anchor erasure. This re-commissioning of a previously
anchor erased but incomplete (no
legend)
reverse die involved the addition of the Seleukos
legend to the die from which the
anchor had been erased, plus successive re-engraving of the
reverse controls on four separate occasions. Note the blundered spelling of ΒΑΣΙΛΣΩΣ (Σ rather than E) on all modified states of the die. On this coin the
reverse die is in its final state of modification. A further enigma, the
reverse die which based on stylistic considerations originated with almost 100% certainty from Babylon II
mint is paired in its earlier states with an
obverse die (used to strike the preceding two coins) that is most certainly not from Uncertain
Mint 6A, but from Babylon I
mint, or perhaps, though less likely Babylon II. Finally, it can be demonstrated that this coin issue using the modified
reverse die is probably the earliest coinage issued in the name of Seleukos.
