Seleukid Coins

Antiochos VIII

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Identification Number A08-AR-02
Mint:	Damaskos1
Period:	120/119 BC (first reign)
Denomination:	AR Tetradrachm
Weight:	16.32 g
Diameter:	29 - 29 mm
Obverse:	Diademed head of Antiochos VIII right; fillet border
Reverse:	‘ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ’ right, ‘ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ’ left (“of King Antiochos the Illustrious”); Zeus Ouranios (“Zeus of Heaven”),2 nude, standing left, crescent above head, holding star in outstretched right hand and scepter with left arm; ‘ΑΡ’ monogram above ‘ΗΔΡ’ monogram in outer left field; Seleukid date (year 193 of the Seleukid Era, i.e. 120/119 BC)3 in exergue; laurel wreath border
Die Position:	0º
References:	Houghton, CSE, 850 (same obverse die); Newell, LSM, 91 (same obverse die); SNG Spaer, 2647 (same dies); Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Electronic Auction 191 (July 9, 2008), Lot 30 (same obverse die)

Identification Number A08-AR-01
Mint:	Antioch on the Orontes4
Period:	108/7 - 97/6 BC (fourth reign in Antioch)
Denomination:	AR Tetradrachm
Weight:	16.38 g
Diameter:	28 - 28 mm
Obverse:	Diademed head of Antiochos VIII right; fillet border
Reverse:	‘[Β]ΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ’ right, ‘ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ’ left (“of King Antiochos the Illustrious”); Zeus Nikephoros (“carrying victory”) seated on throne left, holding Nike in right hand and scepter in left hand; ‘Ρ/Ε/Α’ in outer left field; ‘Π’ under throne; laurel wreath border
Die Position:	0º
References:	Houghton, CSE, 347; Newell, SMA, 407; SNG Spaer, 2554 - 2558 var. (different control mark under throne)

Identification Number A08-AE-01
Mint:	Antioch on the Orontes4
Period:	111/110 BC (second reign in Antioch)
Denomination:	AE Unit
Weight:	5.18 g
Diameter:	17.5 - 19 mm
Obverse:	Diademed, radiate head of Antiochos VIII right; dotted border
Reverse:	‘[Β]ΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ [Α]ΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ’ right, ‘[ΦΙ]ΛΟΜΗΤΟΡΟΣ’ left (“of King Antiochos the Mother-loving”); eagle standing left, scepter behind shoulder; control mark in outer left field; Seleukid date ΒΣ (year 202 of the Seleukid Era, i.e. 111/110 BC)3 in exergue
Die Position:	0º
References:	Hunterian Coll. III, p. 103, Nos. 39-41; for other specimens, see the page “Antiochos VIII Philometor”
Note:	This type (diademed and radiate head of Antiochos VIII / eagle) was struck for many years (see, e.g., SNG Spaer). However, the majority of these coins bear the inscription ‘ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ’. Coins with the epithet Philometor (“the Mother-loving”) are rare. See the page “Antiochos VIII Philometor” devoted to this type.

Identification Number A08-AE-02
Mint:	Antioch on the Orontes4
Period:	probably 111/110 BC (second reign in Antioch)
Denomination:	AE Unit
Weight:	5.54 g
Diameter:	18 - 20 mm
Obverse:	Diademed, radiate head of Antiochos VIII right; dotted border
Reverse:	‘ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟ[Υ]’ right, ‘[Φ]ΙΛΟΜΗΤΟΡΟΣ’ left (“of King Antiochos the Mother-loving”); eagle standing left, scepter behind shoulder; control mark in outer left field; unclear Seleukid date in exergue
Die Position:	0º
References:	Hunterian Coll. III, p. 103, Nos. 39-41; for other specimens, see the page “Antiochos VIII Philometor”
Notes:	(1) This type (diademed and radiate head of Antiochos VIII / eagle) was struck for many years (see, e.g., SNG Spaer). However, the majority of these coins bear the inscription ‘ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ’. Coins with the epithet Philometor (“the Mother-loving”) are rare. See the page “Antiochos VIII Philometor” devoted to this type.
	(2) This coin was probably struck from the same obverse die as the previous coin A08-AE-01

Identification Number A08-AE-03
Mint:	Antioch on the Orontes4
Period:	111/110 BC (second reign in Antioch)
Denomination:	AE Unit
Weight:	6.41 g
Diameter:	17 - 18 mm
Obverse:	Diademed, radiate head of Antiochos VIII right; dotted border
Reverse:	‘[Β]ΑΣΙΛ[ΕΩΣ] (only the lower parts of letters are visible) [Α]ΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ’ right, ‘[ΦΙ]ΛΟΜΗΤΟΡΟΣ’ left (“of King Antiochos the Mother-loving”); eagle standing left, scepter behind shoulder; control mark in outer left field; Seleukid date ΒΣ (year 202 of the Seleukid Era, i.e. 111/110 BC)3 in exergue
Die Position:	0º
References:	Hunterian Coll. III, p. 103, Nos. 39-41; for other specimens, see the page “Antiochos VIII Philometor”
Note:	This type (diademed and radiate head of Antiochos VIII / eagle) was struck for many years (see, e.g., SNG Spaer). However, the majority of these coins bear the inscription ‘ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ’. Coins with the epithet Philometor (“the Mother-loving”) are rare. See the page “Antiochos VIII Philometor” devoted to this type.

¹ One of the most important cities of Syria and probably the oldest city in the world.

² The epithet Ouranios (“of Heaven”) indicates Zeus as ruler of the heavens. The star and crescent probably represent the Sun and Moon. According to Zahle, Religious Motifs on Seleucid Coins, Zeus Ouranios is a new Hellenistic creation and he testifies to the advanced syncretism of the late 2nd and early 1st century BC.

Nevertheless, according to Iossif and Lorber, Celestial Iconography on the Eastern Coinage of Antiochus IV (footnote 78), the star can be a symbol of Antiochos VIII’s epithet Epiphanes, not an attribute of the god himself, representing his role as governor over the movements of the stars and the celestial orbs. So, the type should also (or instead) be understood as Zeus holding the star of epiphany of King Antiochos Epiphanes.

³ The Seleukid Era is based on a lunar calendar, beginning with the autumn of 312 BC. It means that if x is a Seleukid year (and x<312) then the corresponding BC time interval is from 313–x to 312–x.

The beginning of the Seleukid Era was set as follows: In 311 BC, shortly after capturing Babylon, Seleukos I Nikator began the enumeration of his satrapal years there. However, after his decisive victory over Antigonos Monophthalmos in 307/6 BC, he backdated his “fictitious” first regnal year to coincide with Nisanu 1, 311 BC (New Year’s Day in the Babylonian calendar). This marked the antedated epoch of the Seleukid calendar according to the Babylonian reckoning. Later in 305/4 BC, when Seleukos I took the diadem and assumed the royal title “King”, he retained the numbering of his regnal years in Babylon but employed the Makedonian calendar and thus pushed his accession year back to Dios, 312 BC (Dios was the first month of the Makedonian calendar; it corresponds to October-November). This became the antedated epoch of the Seleukid era on the Macedonian calendar. (Assar, Recent Studies in Parthian History, Part I, p. 6)

The Seleukid Era was used at least until the first century AD in some Eastern countries.

⁴ Antioch was founded about 300 BC by Seleukos I Nikator, the founder of the Seleukid Dynasty, and it became the principal capital of the Seleukid Empire. The city was named after a family name Antiochos, passed from his father to his son (Antiochos I Soter). There were a number of other cities by the same name and this Antioch was known as Antioch-on-the-Orontes (i.e. the Orontes River, along which it was located).

References:

Assar, Gholamreza F.: Recent Studies in Parthian History, Part I. The Celator, Vol. 14, No. 12 (December 2000), pp. 6-22.

Houghton, Arthur: Coins of the Seleucid Empire from the Collection of Arthur Houghton. The American Numismatic Society, New York, 1983. (abbr. CSE)

Houghton, Arthur; Spaer, Arnold (with the assistance of Catharine Lorber): Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum. Israel I. The Arnold Spaer Collection of Seleucid Coins. Italo Vecchi Ltd., London, 1998. (abbr. SNG Spaer)

Iossif, Panagiotis; Lorber, Catharine: Celestial Iconography on the Eastern Coinage of Antiochus IV. In preparation.

MacDonald, George: Catalogue of Greek Coins in the Hunterian Collection, University of Glasgow. Volume 3. Further Asia, Northern Africa, Western Europe. Elibron Classics, Adamant Media Corporation, 2003. Replica edition of the edition published by James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow, 1905. (abbr. Hunterian Coll. III)

Newell, Edward T.: Late Seleucid Mints in Ake-Ptolemais and Damascus. The American Numismatic Society, Numismatic Notes and Monographs No. 84, New York, 1939. (abbr. LSM)

Newell, Edward T.: The Seleucid Mint of Antioch. Chicago, 1978 (Obol International reprint of the New York 1918 original edition). (abbr. SMA)

Zahle, Jan: Religious Motifs on Seleucid Coins. In Studies in Hellenistic Civilization, Vol. I – Religion and Religious Practice in the Seleucid Kingdom, pp. 125-139. Aarhus University Press, 1990, 1996.