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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Hellenistic Monarchies| ▸ |Seleucid Kingdom||View Options:  |  |  |   

Ancient Coins of the Seleucid Kingdom

The Seleucid Kingdom, ruled by the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, existed from 312 B.C. to 63 B.C. Seleucus I Nicator received Babylonia in the division of Alexander the Great's empire in 321 B.C. He expanded his domain, and at the height of its power, the Seleucid Empire included central Anatolia, Persia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, and what is now Kuwait, Afghanistan, and parts of Pakistan and Turkmenistan. They were defeated by the Roman Republic and their Greek allies in 190 B.C. The subsequent Treaty of Apamea in 188 B.C. required costly war reparations and loss of territory west of the Taurus Mountains. The Parthians conquered much of the remaining empire in the mid-2nd century B.C. The Seleucid kings continued to rule a smaller state from Syria until the invasion by Armenian king Tigranes the Great in 83 B.C. and their ultimate overthrow by the Roman general Pompey in 63 B.C.

Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus XII Dionysos, c. 88 - 84 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |XII| |Dionysos,| |c.| |88| |-| |84| |B.C.||AE| |20|NEW
Antiochus XII was immediately challenged by the Nabataeans whose territories had grown during the Seleucids' perpetual fratricidal wars. While Antiochus was campaigning against the Nabataeans, these wars continued - Philip I took Damascus. Antiochus was forced to return to Damascus and evict his brother. Returning to the Nabataean front again, Antiochus, this time, had to overcome the resistance of Alexander Jannaeus en route. He soon perished in battle at the hands of the Nabataeans, leaving Damascus without a ruler. Damascus, the longtime Southern stronghold of Seleucid power freely gave itself over to the benevolent rule of King Aretas III of Nabataea.
GY110777. Bronze AE 20, Houghton-Lorber 2477b, Newell LSM 138, SNG Spaer 2907 var. (monogram), SNG Fitz 5824 var. (monogram), Houghton 870 CSE var. (monogram), VF, well centered, brown-burgundy patina, earthen encrustations, light corrosion, flan casting offset, edge cracks, weight 4.396 g, maximum diameter 19.8 mm, die axis 0o, Damascus (Syria) mint, c. 87 - 85 B.C.; obverse diademed and bearded head of Antiochos XII right; reverse Apollo standing slightly left, head left, laurel branch upright in right hand, resting left elbow on tripod, BACIΛEΩC / ANTIOXOY / EΠIΦANOYC in three downward lines right, ΦIΛOΠATOPOC / KAΛΛINIKOY in two downward lines left; monogram outer left; $130.00 (€131.30)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus III the Great, c. 223 - 187 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |III| |the| |Great,| |c.| |223| |-| |187| |B.C.||AE| |16|NEW
Antiochus' victory at the Battle of Panium in 198 B.C. transferred control of Judaea from Ptolemaic Egypt to the Seleukid Kingdom. When Antiochos conquered Asia Minor, however, the Romans responded. Antiochos' losses were so great that the whole of his empire was shattered and he was forced to content himself with the region that he had held in the beginning, Syria.
GY111032. Bronze AE 16, Houghton-Lorber I 983(1)b, SNG Spaer 488 (Hierax), Newell WSM 1428 var. (control, Hierax), VF, dark green patina, tight flan, scratches, weight 3.829 g, maximum diameter 15.8 mm, die axis 315o, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, 203 - 187 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, hair in corkscrew curls down neck; reverse Apollo standing left, naked, examining arrow in right hand, resting left hand on tripod lebes behind, BAΣIΛEΩΣ downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on right, M/A monogram (control) outer left; $70.00 (€70.70)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos II Kallinikos, 246 - 226 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Seleukos| |II| |Kallinikos,| |246| |-| |226| |B.C.||AE| |14|NEW
Ecbatana was the capital of the Medes, a royal residence of the Achaemenid kings, and the capital of the satrapy of Media. Seleucus annexed Media to his province in 311 B.C., refounded the city of Ecbatana, and opened a mint there.
GY110613. Bronze AE 14, Houghton-Lorber I 819, Newell WSM 555, HGC 9 386 (R3), aF, well centered, porous, encrusted, weight 1.870 g, maximum diameter 14.4 mm, die axis 90o, Ecbatana (Hamedan, Iran) mint, 246 - 226 BC; obverse helmeted head of Athena right; reverse elephant striding right, mahout on neck, BAΣIΛEΩΣ above, ΣEΛEYKOY below, monogram left; $70.00 (€70.70)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus III the Great, c. 223 - 187 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |III| |the| |Great,| |c.| |223| |-| |187| |B.C.||AE| |17|NEW
Antiochus' victory at the Battle of Panium in 198 B.C. transferred control of Judaea from Ptolemaic Egypt to the Seleukid Kingdom. Specimens of this type have been found in Jerusalem. Ptolemy signed a conciliatory treaty with Antiochus in 195 B.C., leaving the Seleucid king in possession of Coele-Syria and agreeing to marry Antiochus' daughter Cleopatra I. When Antiochus conquered Asia Minor, however, the Romans responded. Antiochus' losses were so great that the whole of his empire was shattered and he was forced to content himself with the region that he had held in the beginning, Syria.
GY110614. Bronze AE 17, Houghton-Lorber I 1089(1), Newell WSM 789, SNG Spaer 272, HGC 9 490 (S), VF, highlighting earthen deposits, weight 5.388 g, maximum diameter 18.63 mm, die axis 90o, Coele Syria, military mint, 5th Syrian War, 202 - 195 B.C.; obverse Macedonian round shield decorated with facing head of Medusa (gorgoneion) in the center; reverse elephant walking right, anchor above flukes right, BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣEΛEYKOY in two lines below; $90.00 (€90.90)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, 175 - 164 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |IV| |Epiphanes,| |175| |-| |164| |B.C.||hemichalkon|NEW
The villain of Hanukkah. Antiochos IV assumed divine epithets, which no other Hellenistic king had done, such as Theos Epiphanes (God Manifest). His subjects made a pun on his name, calling him Epimanes (madman). In 168 B.C., Antiochus IV ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. The Temple in Jerusalem was seized and dedicated to Zeus. The Jews revolted and after three years of fighting, Judah Maccabee defeated the Seleukid army. Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Temple in 165 B.C. According to the Talmud, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, enough time to prepare and consecrate fresh oil.
GY111126. Bronze hemichalkon, Houghton-Lorber II 1489(2)f; Le Rider Suse pl. lxxiv, 12 - 14; HGC 9 638a (S), aVF, dark patina, highlighting red earthen deposits, tight flan, obv. off center, weight 3.466 g, maximum diameter 13.8 mm, die axis 0o, Samarian(?) mint, c. 168 - 164 B.C.; obverse radiate head of Antiochos IV right, A over X behind head; reverse Goddess seated left on high-backed throne, Nike in right hand, bird standing left at feet, BAΣIΛEΩΣ (king) downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on left, Λ (control) under throne; scarce; $90.00 (€90.90)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus VII Euergetes Sidetes, 138 - 129 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |VII| |Euergetes| |Sidetes,| |138| |-| |129| |B.C.||AE| |12|
David Hendin identifies the mint city as Jerusalem. Some numismatists have attributed this type to Askalon. Houghton and Lorber attribute it to an uncertain mint in southern Koile-Syria.
GY111516. Bronze AE 12, Houghton-Lorber II 2122, SNG Spaer 2095, Houghton CSE 819, Hendin 6166 (Jerusalem mint), HGC 9 1111, VF, green patina, highlighting earthen deposits, rev. off center, weight 1.108 g, maximum diameter 11.8 mm, die axis 45o, southern Koile-Syria (?, uncertain) mint, 138 - 137 B.C.; obverse crested Boeotian helmet with cheek guards; reverse ANTIOXOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, aphlaston; this is the first specimen of this type handled by FORVM, ex Zuzim Inc. (Isadore Goldstein, Brooklyn, NY); $120.00 (€121.20)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Alexander I Balas, 152 - 145 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Alexander| |I| |Balas,| |152| |-| |145| |B.C.||AE| |13|
The aegis was a well-known symbol of Alexander the Great. After his death, the body of Alexander and his aegis wound up in the hands of the Ptolemies. At the time this coin was struck, Alexander Balas was the son in law of Ptolemy VI and the Ptolemaic candidate for the Seleucid throne. After the break between them, Ptolemy VI dissolved his daughter's first marriage and married her to Demetrius II, “as if she were a piece of furniture.” (J.P. Mahaffy). Alexander Balas fell at the 145 BC Battle of Oenoparas. Though the Battle was a Ptolemaic victory, Ptolemy VI died of battle wounds a few days later. Alexander Balas, of humble origin, claimed to be Antiochus IV's son and heir to the Seleukid throne. Rome and Egypt accepted his claims. He married Cleopatra Thea, daughter of King Ptolemy Philometor of Egypt. With his father-in-law's help, he defeated Demetrius Soter and became the Seleukid king. After he abandoned himself to debauchery, his father-in-law shifted his support to Demetrius II, the son of Demetrius Soter. Balas was defeated and fled to Nabataea where he was murdered. Apamea, on the right bank of the Orontes River, was an ancient Greek and Roman city. It was located at a strategic crossroads for Eastern commerce and became one of the four cities of the Syrian tetrapolis. Seleucus also made it a military base with 500 elephants, and an equestrian stud with 30,000 mares and 300 stallions.
GY110632. Bronze AE 13, Houghton-Lorber II 1792.2b; SNG Spaer 1480; Houghton CSE 207, F, earthen encrustation, light corrosion, weight 2.243 g, maximum diameter 13.2 mm, die axis 315o, Antiochia on the Orontes mint, 150 - 146 B.C.; obverse aegis with facing head of Medusa at center; reverse Pegasos flying right right, A (control) below, BAΣIΛEΩΣ (king) above, AΛEΞAN∆POY below; rare; $60.00 (€60.60)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus VI Dionysus, 144 - c. 142 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |VI| |Dionysus,| |144| |-| |c.| |142| |B.C.||AE| |24|
After his father was deposed by Demetrius II, the general Diodotus Tryphon nominated Antiochus VI as king. He gained the allegiance of most of the Seleucid domain, including Judaea, but was actually only a puppet of the general. He died after "ruling" for two years. He was likely assassinated under orders from Tryphon, who then made himself king.
RY111111. Bronze serrated AE 24, Houghton-Lorber II 2006(a), SNG Spaer 1772, Houghton CSE 248, Babelon Rois 1007, SNG Cop 306, HGC 9 1043 (C-S), F, overly enthusiastic cleaning around elephant (scratch tooled), scratches, earthen deposits, central dimples, weight 7.852 g, maximum diameter 21.9 mm, die axis 0o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, c. mid-143 - 142 B.C.; obverse radiate head of Antiochos VI right, wreathed in ivy; reverse elephant walking left, holding torch in trunk, BAΣIΛEΩS ANTIOXOY in two lines above, EΠIΦANOYΣ ∆IONYΣOY in two lines in exergue, ΣTA over cornucopia (controls) right; $80.00 (€80.80)
 


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus II Theos, 261 - 246 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |II| |Theos,| |261| |-| |246| |B.C.||AE| |19|
Before Alexander's conquest, Ecbatana was a summer residence for the Persian kings. Later it was a capital of the Parthian Empire.
GB110472. Bronze AE 19, Houghton-Lorber I 522(2); Newell WSM 1391; BMC Seleucid p. 15, 15; HGC 9 253, gVF, green patina, highlighting earthen deposits, attractive style, scratches, weight 3.733 g, maximum diameter 19.3 mm, die axis 0o, Lydia, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, 261 - 246 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, with curly hair failing down neck; reverse tripod lebes, BAΣIΛEΩΣ downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on left, anchor flukes right below, Σ low outer left, ∆I low outer right; $100.00 (€101.00)
 


Kings of Thrace, Adaios, c. 255 - 245 B.C.

|Kingdoms| |of| |Thrace|, |Kings| |of| |Thrace,| |Adaios,| |c.| |255| |-| |245| |B.C.||AE| |22|
Adaios probably served as a Seleukid strategos (military governor) of Thrace under the King Antiochos II Theos. Antiochos II took Thracian territory from Ptolemy II Philopator, c. 255 - 253 B.C., during the Second Syrian War. After Antiochos II and Ptolemy II made peace. Adaios continued to rule southern Thrace, making Kypsela his capital. Adaios was executed at Kypsela by Ptolemy III Euergetes after Ptolemy advanced into southern Thrace, c. 246 - 241 B.D., during the Third Syrian War.

This type was the largest of three bronze denominations Adaios issued. References list the lower monogram only as Σ, but on better specimens the AΣ monogram is clear.
GB110080. Bronze AE 22, SNG Tüb 971; SNG Cop 1179; SNG BM 324; HGC 3.2 1763 (S); Peter p. 237; AMNG III-2 p. 147, 17 var. (monograms), VF, nice green patina, monograms and inscription not fully struck, weight 8.717 g, maximum diameter 22.0 mm, die axis 315o, Kypsela (near Ipsala, Turkey) mint, c. 255 - 245 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right; reverse tripod lebes, HP over AΣ monograms downward on left, A∆AIOY downward on right; scarce; $100.00 (€101.00)
 




  






REFERENCES

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Cohen, E. Dated Coins of Antiquity: A comprehensive catalogue of the coins and how their numbers came about. (Lancaster, PA, 2011).
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Houghton, A. Coins of the Seleucid Empire from the Collection of Arthur Houghton. ACNAC 4. (New York, 1983).
Houghton, A. "The Second Reign of Demetrius II of Syria at Tarsus" in ANSMN 24 (1979).
Imhoof-Blumer, F. "Die Münzstätte Babylon, etc." in Num. Zeit., 1895, pp. 1 ff.
Kritt, B. Seleucid Coins of Bactria. CNS 1. (Lancaster, 1996).
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