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Small Collection of Seleukid Coins

Contents

Introduction
Seleukid Coins
Complements:
A. Technically Interesting Seleukid Coins
B. Seleukid Portraits on Non-Seleukid Coins
C. Modern Counterfeits and Reproductions
Indexes and References

Introduction

This collection is focused mainly on silver and bronze coins bearing portraits of kings and queens of the Seleukid Empire, particularly of later rulers from the 2nd to the 1st century BC. Note that portraits of Seleukid rulers can be found not only on the Seleukid official coins and quasi-municipal coins of Seleukid cities, but also on contemporary “barbaric” imitations, on some Cappadocian coins from the turn of the 2nd and 1st centuries BC (in the name of Antiochos VII), on Roman coins of the province of Syria (in the name of Philip Philadelphos) and even on some Islamic coins from the 12th century AD (some issues of the Artuqids of Mardin and the Artuqids of Hisn Kayfa and Amid). The collection contains also some figural Seleukid coins and it is complemented by few other interesting coins.
This collection is not extensive. Coins are included either because of their aesthetic value (which is subjective) or because of their historical significance or rarity. Of course, this collecting focus covers only a diminutive part of the enormously varied ancient Greek coinage and a small part of the extensive Seleukid coinage.
In my opinion, every owner of ancient coins has a responsibility to preserve and protect them for future generations. Every coin in this small collection (regardless of its size, material and current market value) is stored in a separate Corrosion Intercept® polyethylene zipper bag (63 mm × 63 mm, i.e. 2½ in × 2½ in). These bags are stored in an inert plastic box. Cotton gloves are always used when handling any coin. No coin is cleaned after its acquisition.

Seleukid Coins

Seleukos I, AE unit, Babylon mint, 3rd century BC Seleukos I, AE unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC
Antiochos I, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos I, AR tetradrachm, Seleukeia on the Tigris mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos I, AE unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos I, AE unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC
Antiochos I, AE unit, Sardis mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos I, AE half unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC
Antiochos II, AR tetradrachm, Alexandreia in Areia mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos II, AE quarter unit, Sardis mint, 3rd century BC
Seleukos II, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC
Antiochos III, AR tetradrachm, “Rose” mint, 3rd century BC
Antiochos IV, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AR tetradrachm, Antioch on the Persian Gulf mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE unit, Ake-Ptolemais mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos IV, AE chalkous, Antioch in Mygdonia mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE dichalkous, Seleukeia on the Tigris mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE unit, Mallos mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE serrated unit, Ake-Ptolemais mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos III, AR tetradrachm, “Rose” mint, 3rd century BC
Demetrios I, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios I, AR tetradrachm, Antioch on the Persian Gulf mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios I, AR tetradrachm, Antioch on the Persian Gulf mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios I, AE serrated quadruple unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Demetrios I, AE quadruple unit, uncertain Syrian mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios I, AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Alexander I, AR tetradrachm, uncertain North Syrian mint, 2nd century BC Alexander I, AE unit, Seleukeia in Pieria mint, 2nd century BC
Demetrios II, 1st reign, AE unit, Nisibis mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos VI, AE serrated unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos VII, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VII, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VII, AR tetradrachm, Seleukeia on the Tigris mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VII, AE unit, Seleukeia on the Tigris mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos VII, AE half unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VII, AE prutah , Jerusalem mint, 2nd century BC
Demetrios II, 2nd reign, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios II, 2nd reign, AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Kleopatra Thea and Antiochos VIII, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Kleopatra Thea and Antiochos VIII, AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos VIII (1st reign), AR tetradrachm, Damaskos mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VIII (4th reign), AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd - 1st century BC Antiochos VIII (2nd reign), AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VIII (2nd reign), AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos VIII (2nd reign), AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos IX, AE unit, Tarsos mint, 2nd century BC
Seleukos VI, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC
Antiochos X, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC
Demetrios III, AE half unit, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC
Philip I, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC Philip I, AR tetradrachm, uncertain North Syrian or Cilician mint, 1st century BC Philip I, AR tetradrachm, uncertain North Syrian mint, 1st century BC
Antiochos XII, AE unit, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC Antiochos XII, AE unit, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC Antiochos XII, AE half unit, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC Antiochos XII, AE half unit, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC
Antiochos XIII, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC

Complement A – Technically Interesting Seleukid Coins

Unstruck flan, 2nd century BC
Antiochos IV, AE quarter unit with blank obverse, Ake-Ptolemais mint, 2nd century BC

Complement B – Seleukid Portraits on Non-Seleukid Coins

Antiochos VII (posthumous Cappadocian reissue), AR tetradrachm, uncertain Cappadocian mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VII (posthumous Cappadocian reissue), AR tetradrachm, uncertain Cappadocian mint, c. 2nd century BC
Alexander I (ancient imitation), AR drachm, uncertain mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV (ancient imitation or counterfeit), AE unit, uncertain mint, 2nd century BC
Najm al-Din Alpi, AE dirham, Mardin mint, 12th century AD Nur al-Din Muhammad, AE dirham, al-Hisn mint, 12th century AD

Complement C – Modern Counterfeits and Reproductions

Carl Wilhelm Becker, 19th century AD, impression No. 90 (copy of a tetradrachm of Kleopatra Thea and Antiochos VIII, 2nd century BC) Carl Wilhelm Becker, 19th century AD, impression No. 128 (copy of a tetradrachm of Antiochos IV, 2nd century BC)

Indexes and References

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