Seleukid Coins
Kleopatra Thea and Antiochos VIII
Silver coin • Bronze coin • References
| Identification Number KA8-AR-01 | |
| Mint: | Antioch on the Orontes1 |
| Period: | 123/2 - 121/0 BC2 |
| Denomination: | AR Tetradrachm |
| Weight: | 16.60 g |
| Diameter: | 26 - 30 mm3 |
| Obverse: | Jugate heads of Kleopatra Thea, diademed and with stephane4 and veil, and Antiochos VIII, diademed, to right; dotted border |
| Reverse: | ‘ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣ[ΗΣ] ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑ[Σ]’ right, ‘ΚΑΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ’ left (“of Queen Kleopatra and King Antiochos”); Zeus Nikephoros (“carrying victory”) seated on throne left, holding Nike in outstretched right hand and scepter with left hand; ‘ΙΕ’ in outer left field; ‘ΑΙ’ under throne |
| Die Position: | 0º |
| References: | Houghton, CSE, 316 var. (‘Δ’ under throne); Newell, SMA, 361; SNG Spaer, 2438 var. (same obverse die, ‘Α’ under throne); Classical Numismatic Group, Mail Bid Sale 57 (April 4, 2001), Lot 581 var. (same obverse die, ‘Δ’ under throne); Pars Coins, stock No. PCW-G1803 var. (same obverse die, ‘Δ’ under throne); La Galerie Numismatique, Auction 11 (January 13, 2008), Lot 28 var. (same obverse die, ‘Α’ under throne) |
| Identification Number KA8-AE-01 | |
| Mint: | Antioch on the OrontesAntioch1 |
| Period: | 123/2 BC |
| Denomination: | AE Unit |
| Weight: | |
| Diameter: | 16 - 18 mm5 |
| Obverse: | Diademed and radiate head of Antiochos VIII right; dotted border |
| Reverse: | ‘ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗ[Σ] ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑ[Σ]’ right, ‘[ΚΑΙ] [ΒΑΣ]ΙΛΕ[ΩΣ] [ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ]’ left (“of Queen Kleopatra and King Antiochos”); owl standing right on overturned amphora, head facing; ‘ΙΕ’ monogram in inner right field; part of an indistinguishable symbol in left part of exergue, Seleukid date in right part of exergue (year 190 of the Seleukid Era, i.e. 123/2 BC)6 |
| Die Position: | c. -15º |
| References: | Houghton, CSE, 317; SNG Spaer, 2441 - 2460, 2465 |
1 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).
2 Alexander II was defeated by Kleopatra Thea and Antiochos VIII in 123/2 BC and Antioch was captured shortly afterwards. (Bellinger, The End of the Seleucids, pp. 64-65; Newell, The Seleucid Mint of Antioch, p. 90)
3 See also section Maximum and Minimum Width of Coins, Figures 1 and 3.
4 A metal headband worn by goddesses and Hellenistic and Roman women.
5 See also section Maximum and Minimum Width of Coins, Figures 2 and 4.
6 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.