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Collection of Seleukid and Related Coins

Contents

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

Introduction

The Seleukid Empire, a major center of Hellenistic culture, lasted nearly two and half centuries and at its greatest extent included almost all of Alexander the Great’s conquests. An extensive and varied coinage was struck by Seleukid mints to satisfy economic needs of the Empire. Moreover, 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).
This collection is focused mainly on silver and bronze Seleukid coins, particularly on later rulers from the 2nd to the 1st century BC. Coins are included either because of their aesthetic value (which is subjective) or because of their historical significance or rarity. The collection covers only a small part of the extensive Seleukid coinage and a diminutive part of the enormously varied ancient Greek coinage. It is complemented by coins interesting from the technical production point of view, by few modern counterfeits and by non-Seleukid coins imitating or inspired by Seleukid coins.
The second part of the collection focuses on municipal coins of Syrian cities struck in the time of the Seleukid Empire before Syria became a Roman province in 64 BC. These coins are often overlooked by numismatists and collectors, although they illustrate changes in the Empire in its last period and local history of the cities at the end of the Hellenistic period.
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 properly stored. Cotton gloves are always used when handling any coin. No coin is cleaned after its acquisition.

Part I

Seleukid Coins

Seleukos I, AR obol, Babylon mint, 4th century BC Seleukos I, AE double unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC Seleukos I, AE half unit, Sardis 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 double unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos I, AE half unit, Sardis mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos I, AE half unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC Antiochos I, AE half unit, Antioch mint, 3rd century BC
Antiochos II, AR tetradrachm, 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 Seleukos II, AE unit, mint associated with Antioch, 3rd century BC
Achaios, AE double unit, Sardis 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 quadruple unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE double unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos IV, AE unit, Laodikeia by the Sea mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE double unit, perhaps Ake-Ptolemais mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE unit, perhaps Ake-Ptolemais mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE double unit, Antioch on the Kallirhoe mint, 2nd century BC
Antiochos IV, AE half unit, Antioch in Mygdonia mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE half unit, Sidon mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IV, AE double unit, 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
Timarchos, AE double unit, Ekbatana mint, 2nd 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 Demetrios I, AE half unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Alexander I, AR tetradrachm, uncertain North Syrian mint, 2nd century BC Alexander I, AE quadruple unit, Seleukeia in Pieria mint, 2nd century BC Alexander I, AE double unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Alexander I, AE unit, uncertain mint in Northern Syria, 2nd century BC
Demetrios II, 1st reign, AE double unit, Nisibis mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios II, 1st reign, AE double unit, uncertain mint in Phoenicia or Coele Syria, 2nd century BC
Antiochos VI, AR drachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos VI, AE serrated double unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Tryphon, AE 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, AR hemidrachm, probably Tarsos, 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, AR drachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios II, 2nd reign, AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Demetrios II, 2nd reign, AE half unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
A Young Antiochos Epiphanes, AR drachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC
Alexander II, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Alexander II, AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Alexander II, AE unit, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC Alexander II, AE unit, Seleukeia in Pieria mint, 2nd century BC
Alexander II, AE unit, perhaps Apameia on the Axios 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 double unit, Tarsos mint, 2nd century BC Antiochos IX, AE unit, uncertain mint in Northern Syria, Phoenicia or Coele Syria, 2nd - 1st century BC
Seleukos VI, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC Seleukos VI, AR drachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC Seleukos VI, AE double unit, Antioch mint, 1st century BC
Antiochos X, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC
Antiochos XI, AE double unit, Antioch mint, 1st century BC
Demetrios III, AR tetradrachm, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC Demetrios III, AE unit, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC
Philip I, AR tetradrachm, probably Tarsos mint, 1st century BC Philip I, AR tetradrachm, uncertain North Syrian or Cilician mint, 1st century BC
Antiochos XII, AE double unit, Damaskos mint, 1st century BC Antiochos XII, AE double unit, Damaskos 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
Philip II (?), AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC
Antiochos XIII, AR tetradrachm, Antioch mint, 1st century BC

Part I – Complement A

Technically Interesting Coins

Unstruck flan, 2nd century BC
Antiochos IV, AE half unit with blank obverse, Ake-Ptolemais mint, 2nd century BC
Demetrios II, 1st reign, AR drachm, Antioch mint, 2nd century BC

Part I – 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 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 Najm al-Din Alpi, AE dirham, Mardin mint, 12th century AD Nur al-Din Muhammad, AE dirham, al-Hisn mint, 12th century AD

Part I – 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)

Part II

Municipal Coins of Seleukid Syria

Antioch on the Orontes, AE double unit, 1st century BC Antioch on the Orontes, AE double unit, 1st century BC Antioch on the Orontes, AE unit, 1st century BC Antioch on the Orontes, AE unit, 1st century BC
Apameia on the Axios, AE double unit, 2nd century BC Apameia on the Axios, AE unit, 2nd century BC Apameia on the Axios, AE unit, 2nd century BC
Seleukeia in Pieria, AE quadruple unit, 2nd century BC Seleukeia in Pieria, AE double unit, 2nd century BC Seleukeia in Pieria, AE double unit, 2nd century BC Seleukeia in Pieria, AE double unit, 2nd century BC
Seleukeia in Pieria, AE double unit, 2nd century BC Seleukeia in Pieria, AE double unit, 1st century BC Seleukeia in Pieria, AE half unit, 1st century BC

Indexes and References

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