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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Persia & Mesopotamia||View Options:  |  |  |   

Ancient Coins of Persia and Mesopotamia

Also included on this page are coins minted under Persian rule in other regions of the Persian Empire.

Seleucid Kingdom, Seleucus II Callinicus, 246 - 226 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleucid| |Kingdom,| |Seleucus| |II| |Callinicus,| |246| |-| |226| |B.C.||AE| |16|
The Seleukid Empire was under attack by Egypt when Kallinikos assumed the throne. He lost much of Thrace and coastal Anatolia to Ptolemy III. While he was fighting, his mother made his younger brother Antiochos Hierax joint ruler. Kallinikos agreed to partition the empire; however, Hierax wanted it all and Hierax and his Galatian mercenaries defeated him. Kallinikos managed to retain the lands east of the Tauros. The War of the Brothers weakened the empire, permitting regions such as Parthia to secede. Anatolia was soon lost. Kallinikos died after a fall from his horse.

Richard Ashton is reported in Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalog, Part 1 (2002) of having examined two specimens of this very rare coin type in the Afyon Museum in Turkey, but with weights of 3.06 and 4.51 grams, thus implying a larger denomination. The handsome example posted by Dane Kurth on the discussion boards of FORVM Ancient Coins in July 2010, with a diameter of 19mm, gives even more credence to the existence of "Denomination C." Although less clear cut, our coin might also fit more comfortably in the larger bronze category, since the "Denomination D" metrics given for SC 760 are "15 mm., 2.62-2.80 gm."
GY113943. Bronze AE 16, Houghton-Lorber I 760; Newell WSM 827 & pl. VIII, 11; SNG Spaer -; HGC 9 -, F, smooth black patina, contrasting sandy deposits, obverse off-centered, weight 3.872 g, maximum diameter 16.1 mm, die axis 0o, Mesopotamia, Nisibis (Nusaybin, Turkey) mint, c. 246 - 226 B.C.; obverse Draped, jugate busts of the Dioscuri right, wearing laureate pilei, both surmounted by a star; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ (above) ΣΕΛΕYKOY (below; obscured), Dioscuri on horseback, charging right with couched spears, AY monogram to right, beneath farthest horse; very rare; $160.00 (€150.40)
 


Caracalla, 28 January 198 - 8 April 217 A.D., Edessa, Mesopotamia

|Mesopotamia| |&| |Babylonia|, |Caracalla,| |28| |January| |198| |-| |8| |April| |217| |A.D.,| |Edessa,| |Mesopotamia||AE| |20|
During the sole reign of Caracalla a city known as Colonia Metropolis Antoniniana Aurelia Alexandria in Mesopotamia (Osrhoene) issued a series of small bronze coins with Latin legends. These types were attributed by Eckhel to Carrhae and numismatists long perpetuated this attribution. New finds and papyrological evidence instead point to Edessa as the site of this colonia and the mint for these small bronze coins, struck after Caracalla deposed its king, Severus Abgar IX, in 212/213 A.D.
RP112082. Bronze AE 20, Dandrow 1/13 (O8/R10); Lindgren I 2565, Nice F, nice desert patina with highlighting earthen deposits, weight 4.642 g, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, die axis 180o, Mesopotamia, Edessa (Urfa, Sanliurfa, Turkey) mint, 212 - 8 Apr 217 A.D.; obverse M AVR ANTO-NINVS P F AVG (clockwise from upper right), laureate and bearded head right, bare shoulder visible from behind; reverse COL MET ANT-ONINIANA (clockwise from upper right), turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche (city goddess) right; $70.00 (€65.80)
 


Gordian III, 29 July 238 - 25 February 244 A.D., Carrhae, Mesopotamia

|Mesopotamia| |&| |Babylonia|, |Gordian| |III,| |29| |July| |238| |-| |25| |February| |244| |A.D.,| |Carrhae,| |Mesopotamia||AE| |31|
Tyche (Greek for luck; the Roman equivalent was Fortuna) was the presiding tutelary deity that governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, its destiny. Increasingly during the Hellenistic period, cities had their own specific iconic version of Tyche, wearing a mural crown (a crown like the walls of the city).
RP112711. Bronze AE 31, RPC Online VII.2 3445 (3 spec.); BMC Arabia p. 89, 55; SNG Cop 187 var. (crescent above Tyche), aVF, off center, dark tone, porosity, weight 14.920 g, maximum diameter 30.5 mm, die axis 0o, Carrhae (Altinbasak, Turkey) mint, 243 - 244 A.D.; obverse AYTOK K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse MHTP KOΛ KAPPHNWN, draped, veiled and turreted bust of Tyche left, before her satyr Marsyas standing right on short column, carrying wineskin over shoulder; first specimen of this type handled by Forum; scarce; $70.00 (€65.80)
 


Gordian III, 29 July 238 - 25 February 244 A.D., Edessa, Mesopotamia

|Mesopotamia| |&| |Babylonia|, |Gordian| |III,| |29| |July| |238| |-| |25| |February| |244| |A.D.,| |Edessa,| |Mesopotamia||AE| |30|
Tyche (Greek for luck; the Roman equivalent was Fortuna) was the presiding tutelary deity that governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, its destiny. Increasingly during the Hellenistic period, cities had their own specific iconic version of Tyche, wearing a mural crown (a crown like the walls of the city).
RP113161. Bronze AE 30, RPC Online VII.2 3427; SNG Cop 220; BMC Arabia p. 111, 128 ff.; Babelon 86; McClean 9553; SNG Hunt 2565, F, tight flan, weight 15.691 g, maximum diameter 30.1 mm, die axis 180o, Mesopotamia, Edessa (Urfa, Sanliurfa, Turkey) mint, 242 - 244 A.D.; obverse AYTOK K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse MHT KOΛ EΔECCHNΩN, draped, veiled and turreted bust of Tyche left, altar before her, to left of altar, Marsyas (?) standing right on short column, carrying wineskin over shoulder; ex Numismatik Naumann auction 130 (2 Jul 2023), lot 1244 (part of); $60.00 (€56.40)
 


Mesopotamia, Mazaces (satrap under Alexander the Great and Philip III), c. 325 - 315 B.C.

|Persia| |&| |Mesopotamia|, |Mesopotamia,| |Mazaces| |(satrap| |under| |Alexander| |the| |Great| |and| |Philip| |III),| |c.| |325| |-| |315| |B.C.||tetradrachm|
Certificate of Authenticity issued by David R. Sear.

Imitation of a 4th century Athens tetradrachm produced in Mesopotamia, probably under the authority of the Persian satrap Mazaces, whose name appears on some similar issues. He probably received the governorship of a city or district from Alexander as a reward for the peaceful surrender of Egypt in 332 B.C. This example is remarkable in having a head of Athena facing the "wrong" way, i.e. to left instead of to right as on all the prototypes.
SH08822. Silver tetradrachm, similar to cf. Mitchiner IGIS vol 1, p. 16 Type 13a 4 (owl also standing left), F, weight 16.85 g, maximum diameter 24.1 mm, die axis 45o, uncertain mint, obverse head of Athena left, wearing earring and helmet ornamented with three olive leaves; reverse AΘE, owl standing right head facing, olive sprig and lunar crescent in upper field to left; heavily oxidized (dark toned) surfaces; unpublished and possibly unique but similar to the attribution ref Mazaces type, Svoronos pl 23, 12 is another left facing Athena (fourree), these are the only known Athens type tetradrachms with Athena left; SOLD


Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Darios I - Xerxes II, c. 485 - 420 B.C.

|Persia| |&| |Mesopotamia|, |Persian| |Empire,| |Lydia,| |Anatolia,| |Darios| |I| |-| || |Xerxes| |II,| |c.| |485| |-| |420| |B.C.||daric|
This type was minted in Lydia, Anatolia, while under Persian control, prior to Alexander the Great's conquest. The Persian or Achaemenid Empire (c. 550 - 330 B.C.) was the largest empire in ancient history extending across Asia, Africa and Europe, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and much of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya.Persian Empire
SH12099. Gold daric, Carradice Type IIIb, Group A/B (pl. XIII, 27); Meadows, Administration 321; BMC Arabia pl. XXIV, 26; Sunrise 24, SNG Cop 275, SGCV II 4679, Choice EF, weight 8.284 g, maximum diameter 15.3 mm, c. 485 - 420 B.C.; obverse kneeling-running figure of the Great King right, bearded, wearing crown and kidaris, a quiver at his shoulder, transverse spear downward in right hand, bow in extended left hand; reverse irregular approximately rectangular punch; SOLD


Sasanian Empire, Vahram V (Bahram Gor), 420 - 438 A.D.

|Sasanian| |Empire|, |Sasanian| |Empire,| |Vahram| |V| |(Bahram| |Gor),| |420| |-| |438| |A.D.||drachm|
"This is the son of Yazdagard I (also known as Izgader Malka mentioned in the Talmud). Yazdagard was know to be friendly to the Jewish citizens of his land. According to Sassanian and Pahlavian literature King Yazdagard married the daughter of the exilarch (resh galuta), who was a high government official and the de-facto leader of the Jewish community in the diaspora. In effect this made Varhran V a Jewish Sassanian King!" -- Isadore Goldstein, Zuzim Inc.
WA73352. Silver drachm, SNS Ib1/2 KL, Göbl SN I/2, Choice EF, bold strike with no flat spots, excellent metal, weight 4.159 g, maximum diameter 29.4 mm, die axis 45o, Kirman province (in or near Shirajan?), KL mint, 420 - 438 A.D.; obverse bust of Vahram right, wearing mural crown with korymbos set on crescent, floral decoration on lower bust; reverse fire altar with ribbons, flanked by two attendants, head of Vahram right in altar, mint signature downward on right; ex Zuzim Inc. (Isadore Goldstein, Brooklyn, NY); scarce; SOLD


Kingdom of Characene, Attambelos I, c. 47 - 24 B.C.

|Kingdom| |of| |Characene|, |Kingdom| |of| |Characene,| |Attambelos| |I,| |c.| |47| |-| |24| |B.C.||tetradrachm|
Characene at the head of the Persian Gulf was important link in trade with India. It was founded by Aspasine, a rebellious satrap of Antiochos IV. The kingdom fell under Parthian control and then to the Sasanians. Trajan visited the capital Charax during his invasion of Parthia and seeing the ships sailing to India lamented for not being younger and not able to go there, as Alexander did.
SH56739. Silver tetradrachm, Nicolet-Pierre Thionèsis pl. III, 6; BMC Arabia p. 291, 3 and pl. LV, 12, aVF, weight 10.379 g, maximum diameter 28.8 mm, die axis 0o, Charax Spasinu mint, 41 - 40 B.C.; obverse diademed head with long beard; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ATTAMBHΛOY behind, ΣΩTHPOΣ / KAI EYEPΓETOY before, Herakles naked seated left on a cuirass, club in right, leaning on left, monogram above Herakles' arm, BOΣ (year 272 Seleukid era) in exergue; SOLD


Kingdom of Characene, Thionèsis I, c. 25 - 18 B.C.

|Kingdom| |of| |Characene|, |Kingdom| |of| |Characene,| |Thionèsis| |I,| |c.| |25| |-| |18| |B.C.||tetradrachm|
The Kingdom of Characene was founded by Aspasine, a rebellious satrap of Antiochos IV. It controlled the head of the Persian Gulf and was an important link in the trade with India. It's said that Trajan visited the capital Charax during his invasion of Parthia, and seeing the ships sailing to India lamented for not being younger and able to go there, as Alexander did.
SH29171. Silver tetradrachm, Nicolet-Pierre Thionèsis pl. V, 21 - 23 var. (various letters under arm), VF, weight 15.061 g, maximum diameter 27.8 mm, Charax Spasinu mint, 24 - 23 B.C.; obverse diademed head with long beard; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΘIONHΣIOΣ behind, ΣΩTHPOΣ / KAI EYEPΓETOY before, Herakles naked seated left on a cuirass holding club, monogram above arm, P below arm, date ΘΠΣ (year of the 289 Seleukid era) in exergue; double-struck, grainy, scratches; rare; SOLD


Kingdom of Characene, Attambelos I, c. 47 - 24 B.C.

|Kingdom| |of| |Characene|, |Kingdom| |of| |Characene,| |Attambelos| |I,| |c.| |47| |-| |24| |B.C.||AE| |17|
Characene was a kingdom controlling the head of the Persian Gulf, important link in the trade with India, and was founded by Aspasine, a rebellious satrap of Antiochos IV. The kingdom was later under Parthian control and then conquered by the Sasanians. It is said that Trajan visited the capital Charax during his invasion of Parthia and seeing the ships sailing to India lamented for not being younger and not being able to go there, as Alexander did.
SH32734. Bronze AE 17, apparently unpublished, SNG ANS -; SNG Cop; Lindgren -; cf. BMC Arabia p. 290, 3 (Tiraios II), F, weight 1.676 g, maximum diameter 17.2 mm, die axis 0o, Spasinou-Charax mint, obverse diademed, bearded bust right; reverse ATT[AM]BHΛ[OY], Nike walking left, extending wreath in right; possibly unique; SOLD




  



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REFERENCES

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